Bardock: Father of Goku
by SwordsMaster231
Summary: An alternate universe in which Bardock escapes the death of his planet but Goku doesn't. After his warnings were ignored by his fellow saiyans, Bardock knew there was nothing left for him there and decided to flee the planet. The news of his newborn son never reached his ears as Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta and all its inhabitants. This changes the course of history as we know it
1. A Stranger from Another World!

A bright light streaked across the clear blue sky, followed quickly by a thundering impact and a shower of dirt and splinters as the object crash landed in a heavily wooded area. Luckily, it seemed the alien ship had landed far from any civilization…save for an old man who lived in the mountains. He was out gathering food for his dinner when the ground shook with a resounding rumble, nearly knocking him off his feet. He blinked in surprise, immediately forgetting about the plants he had been picking and rushing to investigate the crash site. He reached the edge of the crater in a matter of minutes, coughing slightly as the dust settled from the impact. As it began to clear, he saw something rather unexpected. It was a perfectly spherical pod, or at least it would be except for the multiple dents, scratches and cracks on the surface. A faint beeping reached his ears and he jumped back slightly as the pod suddenly popped open, a large plume of smoke drifting from inside the vessel.

He watched, intrigued and cautious, as a figure began to slowly emerge. Again, he was surprised to see it was a tall, muscular man with numerous wounds, much like his ship. Immediately the old man was concerned, rushing forward and aiding the strange individual in walking to the edge of the crater. It was clear the spiky-haired man was barely conscious, judging by the amount of blood on his alien armor and clothes. No sooner had they reached the rim of the crater when the alien finally passed out, likely on the verge of death. The old man heaved a breath of exertion. This man was a fair bit taller than him and a fair bit heavier to boot! Still, he couldn't leave him in the wild in this condition… Luckily, the old man was stronger than he looked and managed to carry the man with the tail back to his humble home on the hill. He had so many questions… But it would be smart to let the strange man rest first before bombarding him with questions he may not be able to answer. So, the old man went about his business, cleaning and wrapping the wounds of the stranger. It would be three days before the stranger awoke.

* * *

He remembered a flash of light, searing pain and then… darkness. He let out a low groan as he sat up slowly, wincing at the soreness in his body. It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings as they slowly came into focus. He blinked when he realized he didn't recognize where he was. He was also surprised to find his wounds had been bandaged and he was lying in a surprisingly comfortable bed. He grunted and threw the blankets off the bed, standing tall in the small hut. His head nearly hit the ceiling but he could still stand up straight. What had happened to his armor? He was only wearing his undergarments… He snapped to attention as he heard the crunching of sticks from outside the hovel, immediately taking a fighting stance. He relaxed slightly when he saw an elderly man come into view. However, the old man nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed the stranger was awake. He let out a yelp, dropping the basket of food he had gathered. Bardock crossed his arms, his tail flicking behind him rapidly.

"Who are you and where am I?" He questioned the old man.

The poor old man had suffered a few surprises already and his heart nearly stopped when the stranger finally spoke.

"I… I didn't realize you were awake." The old man started, picking up the scattered vegetables and fruits he had gathered.

"My name is Gohan and this is my home." He introduced himself with a grin.

Bardock stepped out into the sunlight, shielding his eyes for a moment. As soon as they had adjusted, he was staring at a vibrant blue sky with tall grass waving in the wind and trees as far as the eye could see.

"Where…am I?" He asks again, although he mostly muttered it to himself.

"Hm?" The old man hummed. "Did you say something?"

Bardock shakes his head and turns to the shorter man.

"Your name…you said it was Gohan?"

The older man nods.

"Thank you for patching my wounds…where is my armor and my ship?"

Gohan smiled and nodded before responding.

"Oh! I took it upon myself to try and repair your gear. I must say, it's quite unique. I've never seen anything like it! And you crash landed on that hill there."

He answers, pointing in the direction of the crash site. Bardock's eyes narrowed when the man admitted to tampering with his armor, but he doubted there was much he could do to damage it more than it already was. Bardock grunted in response.

"And my armor. Where have you taken it?"

Gohan didn't seem troubled by his aggressive tone. He simply walked to a drawer in the small hut, removing Bardock's now cleaned clothes and somewhat patched armor.

"I'm afraid there wasn't much I could do, since I've no idea what material this is made of. You might have better luck repairing it in the city."

Bardock's ears perked up. So there was civilized life on this planet. He grabbed his armor and slipped it on over his head. He grunted. The man was right, it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"As soon as I'm back from my pod, I want you to point me in the direction of the city." He demands.

Without waiting for a response, he took off flying towards his pod. Gohan stared, mouth agape, as Bardock flew off. Gohan knew Bardock hadn't trained with the Crane Style School… that fact alone confirmed he was an alien. Meanwhile, Bardock noticed that it was much easier to fly on this planet. In fact, it took much less effort to do most anything. As soon as he discovered his pod, he understood why. According to the data he managed to recover, this was a planet called "Earth". Its gravitational pull was ten times less than that of Planet Vegeta. If he didn't want to get soft, he would have to find more weighted clothing or armor. Unfortunately, his scouter was destroyed in the crash, along with the navigational and flight system. He was stuck here for the time being… Not that he was complaining, considering it was far better than ending up on a frozen world or worse… an exploding one. He gritted his teeth and roared in anger, scaring off a few nearby birds as his energy spiked. Frieza would pay for what he had done! Even if it took Bardock the rest of his life, he would have his revenge. After salvaging all he could from the crash site, he returned to the old man's hut. His aura flared as he flew back in a matter of moments, calming back to its normal state as he landed at the door. He didn't bother to knock, simply barging in.

He immediately saw the old man kneeling in front of some strange, orange ball with sparkling red stars inside. He raised an eyebrow. It looked valuable, so why didn't the man sell it to live in better conditions? Perhaps he preferred the rustic lifestyle. After a moment the old man stood and turned to face Bardock.

"I see you've returned." He speaks.

"That's right. Now which way to the nearest city?" He demands.

Gohan hesitates slightly.

"Perhaps it would be wise to get some clothes local to our planet so you can better blend in? I fear the way you look now would make you a target."

Bardock scoffed. As if he needed protection. Still, it would be annoying to have aliens staring at him all the time. He crossed his arms.

"Fine… Got anything that will fit me?"

Gohan thought for a minute before nodding.

"If you don't mind waiting an hour, I can feed you and sew some clothes to fit."

Bardock was about to argue before his stomach growled loudly. He scowled… This planet probably had a monetary system. He would have to make money if he wanted to eat, but for now, he would let the old man cook.

"Have it your way." Bardock waves his hand nonchalantly, sitting on the bed.

Gohan smiled and went about his business making the meal. Within fifteen minutes Bardock had eaten his fill, nearly ten bowls of fish and rice. Of course, Gohan had expected as much from a healthy young man… er, alien. And after nearly another hour, Gohan returned with some folded, dark green material. Bardock eyed it curiously. At least the man hadn't given him yellow or, gods forbid, orange. He removed his armor and old clothes, having no use for them anymore, trying on the new material. It was definitely different, but all he cared about was if it fit or not. The gi was almost perfect for him, with the billowing green pants stopping at his ankles and the sleeveless shirt with a slight v-neck. The boots were black with red string, accompanied by a black belt around his waist. He sighed slightly as he gazed down at the bloody headband. It was the only memento he had from his friend… But he didn't need it anymore. So he wrapped the new, dark green cloth around his forehead, pulling it taught. He turned and glanced at the old man, who had a wide grin on his face. Bardock simply nodded and left the hut. Gohan had given him directions while he was eating.

"Good luck on your trip!" Gohan called from behind him.

Bardock didn't look back. He simply began walking down the dirt road. He figured it would be better to walk the distance as opposed to flying. He didn't want to become an outcast on this planet, too. After a few minutes of walking, he felt something strange brushing against his leg. He frowned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small brown bag. Upon opening it, he saw a familiar orange glow accompanied by a small note. He briefly considered throwing it into the woods, but curiosity got the better of him as he opened the note.

' _It will be safer with you. Please protect it. It's more valuable than you know.'_ The note read.

He could only imagine it had been left there by the old man. He chuckled slightly before sliding it back in the bag and returning it to his pocket. He could probably get a pretty penny for the thing… But for some reason he didn't feel like selling it. Strangely, it felt like there was an importance to the orb. Perhaps he should keep it… just in case. He looked up suddenly, snapping out of his thoughts as he heard a strange, yet somehow familiar noise. It almost sounded like a pod taking off… But that clearly wasn't the case as he saw a trail of dust rapidly approaching him on the road. He stopped and stared at it, eyes narrowing as it got closer by the second. Soon enough he realized it was a vehicle and someone was driving it. He simply crossed his arms and waited as it came to a stop about fifteen feet down the road. He watched curiously as a girl stepped out of the vehicle, looking at him with what he could only guess was surprise.

"Um…excuse me?" She called out to him.

"What do you want?" He asked gruffly. "I'm busy."

He began walking once more on the side of the road, intending to walk past her and her vehicle. She seemed hesitant to say anything after his gruff response, but she took a deep breath and spoke again.

"You wouldn't happen to have a Dragon Ball would you?" She asks quickly.

"Nope." He responds bluntly, not even sparing her a glance as he walked past.

He had never even heard of a Dragon Ball…then it hit him. It had to be that orange orb the old man had given him! There was no way this was a coincidence. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her, only a few feet away. She was obviously nervous and seemed to be afraid of him. That gave him a small amount of pleasure, but he also didn't want to go around scaring everyone on this planet. He wasn't working for Frieza anymore, after all.

"Hey…how far is the city?" He asks.

She seemed surprised he had spoken at all, fumbling over her words for a moment.

"Oh! The city is three days away on foot." She admits, hoping it would be enough of a bargaining chip.

Little did she know he could fly if he wanted to… but once again, he would rather not freak out the population. He sighed heavily.

"Why do you want the ball?" He asks.

Her eyes narrow and she crosses her arms, trying to look intimidating.

"Why should I tell you?" She retorts.

A quick glare was enough to break her façade.

"Alright! If you gather all seven, you can make any wish you want!"

He blinks in surprise. Wishes being granted? That was just a myth.

"You're not lying to me, are you?" It seemed less like a question and more like a threat.

She shook her head adamantly. Then another question popped into his head.

"How are you finding them?"

She quickly rustles through her bag and pulls out a strange device.

"This is what I like to call a Dragon Ball Radar!" She exclaims proudly. "Basically, it tracks their location by locking on to the small number of electromagnetic waves they produce."

Huh. So she wasn't an idiot after all. She actually sounded pretty smart. He nodded suddenly.

"Alright, I'll make a deal with you. You pay me however much you think these things are worth and I'll gather them for you."

She seemed skeptical of his offer but did consider it.

"All you want is money? Wait…how do I know you won't steal my wish?"

He shrugs. "I guess you don't. But I also don't know how it works, either."

She bit her lip in contemplation.

"Fine! But I'm coming with you, just to make sure you don't do anything fishy."

"It would be a lot quicker if you just let me do it." He grunts.

She shakes her head, quickly popping her bike back into its capsule, which raised an eyebrow from Bardock.

"Sorry buddy, that's the deal."

He sighed once more. He could just take it by force… Sometimes he really missed being the bad guy.

"Alright, lady, where's the next closest Dragon Ball?" He asks.

She puffed out her cheeks, obviously insulted.

"My name is Bulma you jackass!"

"I didn't ask for your name." He says bluntly.

It was amusing to see her get angry. Then again, that would only prolong the process.

"Alright, I'm sorry." He apologizes half-heartedly. "Can you _please_ tell me where the next ball is?"

She sticks out her tongue at him but nevertheless checks the radar.

"It looks like it's a few hundred miles from here in the ocean. It's probably on an island."

He nods.

"Right, then let's go. Can you fly?"

She scoffs and picks another capsule from her belt, popping out a jet made for two.

"Does that answer your question?"

He stares at the big metal contraption for a second. Not exactly what he had in mind… But there was no use in complaining.

"Is this thing fast?" He asks, climbing into the passenger seat as the cockpit opened.

She scoffs again, hopping into the driver's seat and buckling in.

"Just wait and see." She answers with a smirk.

Bardock simply crossed his arms and waited, unimpressed as it took off into the air. It wasn't half bad, but he could easily cover the distance in half the time. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by an ear-piercing screech.

"What the hell was that?" He asks.

"That…" Bulma replied, her face pale, "is big trouble."


	2. Pervy Old Sage

Bardock wasn't familiar with the wildlife on this planet, but judging by the shrill shrieking now coming from two directions- one from _inside_ the vehicle- this creature was obviously dangerous. When it came into view, however, Bardock wasn't impressed. Sure, it was a giant flying monster with razor sharp claws and teeth, but it was nothing he wasn't used to fighting. Hell, some of the planets he conquered had far more menacing- and intelligent- inhabitants. Of course, the blue-haired girl protested when he tried to leave the jet.

"Are you crazy?! You'll get yourself killed from the fall alone!" She yelled at him.

"Maybe I'll surprise you. Open the hatch." He demanded.

The girl would stare at him incredulously for a moment before doing as she was told. As soon as Bardock was free-falling, he ignited his aura and flew towards the beast. Obviously, it wasn't expecting to meet any resistance, let alone the bolt of light that flashed past its head, buzzing with energy.

"That was a warning shot. Leave now and you keep your life. If you don't," another ball of energy formed in his hand, "you'll regret it."

The creature almost immediately turned tail and fled. Bardock chuckled, letting the energy dissipate as he heard the shrill voice once again.

"How in the hell did you do that?!" Her voice rang out from what he could only assume was some sort of speaker on the exterior of the ship.

He turned and glanced at her curiously, still floating in mid-air.

"What do you mean? I scared it off." He responded bluntly.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Yeah but… you're flying! And you shot energy from your hands!"

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I did a lot of training." He muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

She scoffed.

"Yeah right! Like you could learn how to do that just from training."

"Believe what you want. Now open the cockpit." He grumbled.

However, as he floated up in front of the vessel he could see the girl staring at him with unbridled curiosity and a hint of fear.

"You're an alien, aren't you?" She asked.

Hmph. This girl was sharper than he thought.

"Yes. Can we go now?" He responded bluntly.

It took her a moment to get her wits about her as she pressed a button, the cockpit popping open with a faint hiss. He strapped himself back into his seat as the cockpit closed, crossing his arms and pointedly ignoring the curious gaze of the girl.

"What do you want?" He asked gruffly, though he didn't turn to look at her as the ship resumed moving.

"I want to know who you are…or more specifically _what_ you are and where you came from."

"Why do you care?" He asked.

"Well… Despite what you think, I'm actually a scientist."

He scoffed at that.

"Hey, don't judge a book by its cover buddy!" She said heatedly, taking a deep breath before she resumed speaking. "Look…you don't have to answer if you don't want to-"

"Good." He cut her off.

He heard a faint sigh.

"-but I would really appreciate it if you would answer at least one question."

There was silence for a long moment.

"Fine. What is it?"

"I want to know your name." She said.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Bardock." He grunted simply.

"Well, Bardock, are you always this grumpy?"

"Only when nosy little know-it-alls try to shoehorn into my personal business." He retorted.

That shut her up…but only for a minute. He sighed heavily. This was going to be a long flight.

* * *

"That's it?" He asked, glancing skeptically down at the small spit of land.

"That's what the radar says." She confirmed, bringing the jet in for a landing.

"That's not an island. Hell, it's hardly even a patch of dirt." He grumbled.

It was understandable that he was still grumpy. He hadn't eaten since this morning.

"I'm more interested in what sort of person would build a house here. Wouldn't they have to sail to the mainland to get supplies?" She mused.

"It doesn't matter. They have the orb." He said, jumping out of the confined metal machine as soon as it touched solid ground.

Well…what qualified as solid ground around here, anyway. He glanced around at the sparse patch of land, narrowing his eyes at the pink-painted house. It was more of a big hut to be honest.

"Well don't just stand there. Go knock on the door." Bulma spoke from behind him.

"Why?" He asked without turning around.

He heard a frustrated sigh.

"Because I'm busy with the ship. Do you mind?"

He smiled slightly and walked forward. He was tempted to kick the door down and take the ball by force… but once again, he had to remind himself that he didn't do mercenary work for Frieza anymore. So he had to resign himself to three firm knocks on the door, all of which almost left a dent in the fragile wood. He would have to practice keeping his strength in check. He wouldn't want to go around breaking everything he touched. By the time Bulma finished with whatever it was she was doing, the door opened. Bardock was confused at first as no one was standing in the doorway, but his eyes slowly shifted downward to reveal… a turtle. One of the biggest turtles he had ever seen, in fact.

"Can I help you?" The turtle spoke.

Bardock blinked. That was a new one.

"Uhh… we're here to find a dragon ball." He responded.

The turtle seemed to hum for a moment before crawling away slowly, leaving the door to swing closed behind him. Bardock glanced down at Bulma, who shared a similar expression.

"Is that normal?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Dinosaurs and flying machines may co-exist, but I can honestly say I've never met a talking turtle before… or an alien." She said pointedly.

He crossed his arms and grunted.

"I already told you everything on the way here."

"Like hell you did!" She protested. "All you did was say no or just grunt."

"Right, that's all I needed."

She huffed, crossing her arms in a similar stance and glaring at him. It was clear he was amused by her frustration. Bulma was irritated with this man to say the least. Not only was he rude and self-centered, but he barely talked most of the time and ignored her the rest of the time. It was infuriating! Although, she had to admit… He didn't look half bad. And he could certainly handle himself, she had seen that much. She turned her head away with another huff, although this time it was to hide her slight blush. He was probably way too old for her anyway…although he certainly didn't look it. She was about to slap herself silly when the door finally opened again and she snapped to attention. It wasn't a turtle this time, although the man who stood there could be mistaken for one from a distance. He was old and wrinkled with a giant, purple turtle shell on his back. He was completely bald with a long white beard and a cane to prop himself up. Over his eyes were a dark pair of shades and on his feet were a pair of sandals, but the object that caught Bulma's attention was the one dangling around his neck. A dragon ball! She tried to hide her excitement as the old man looked between the two.

"Well…it's not often I get visitors on my island, let alone people as different as the two of you." He spoke with a slightly raspy voice and a chuckle, followed by a brief cough.

Bulma glanced at Bardock and she could see the look in his eyes. This man had gone stir-crazy long go. But she also saw his intent to take the dragon ball and shook her head subtly. He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask why, and she simply glared back at him. After a moment he sighed and she smiled in triumph, turning back to the old man.

"Hello sir!" She greeted him formally. "We came to your island searching for a specific object. In fact, it's the object you have around your neck."

She admitted, pointing to his necklace. He glanced down at it.

"What, this old thing? This washed up on my shore nearly fifty years ago." He mused.

With a flick of his wrist he ripped the necklace, holding it out in front of Bulma. She blinked at how easy that had been, slowly reaching out for it. Of course, the old man pulled it back at the last second.

"Actually, I've grown quite attached to it over the years… I don't think I want to give it away for free."

She took a deep breath, trying to hide her annoyance with a smile.

"Oh, do you want money? Because I can pay you!" She suggested hopefully.

He hummed for a moment, considering the option.

"I was thinking of a different kind of payment…" He trailed off.

Although he was wearing sunglasses, somehow Bulma knew he was staring at her breasts. With heated cheeks and an indignant scowl, she slapped the old pervert across the face and stormed back towards the ship.

"I guess that's a no…" The old man whined, now face down in the dirt.

Bardock, despite his best efforts, couldn't help but laugh at the man's misfortune. He bent down and scooped up the now discarded dragon ball, following Bulma's footsteps for a moment before he heard the man muttering something.

"KA….ME…" He began picking himself up from the ground.

Bardock glanced over his shoulder at him.

"What was that old man?" he asked.

"HA…ME…" He continued.

Bardock stepped closer to him.

"Seriously, old man, speak up." He demanded.

In an instant, the feeble old man transformed into a well-muscled fighter with a ball of energy spiraling in his hands. The sunlight glinted off his sunglasses, accenting his smirk as Bardock's eyes widened in surprise. He barely had enough time to cross his arms in front of him before the man released the energy.

"HAAAAAAA!" He shouted, sending the energy wave blasting point-blank into Bardock's face.

Bulma shouted in surprise, shielding her eyes from the sudden flash of light as the beam arced out over the water.

"Bardock!" She shouted, honestly a bit worried about the man's well-being, although she doubted he could hear her at this point.

The beam slowly faded, leaving the old man standing firm but panting from exertion. A dark scorch mark stretched across the sand, marking the path the beam had taken… And still standing in front of the old man was a very pissed off Bardock. The upper part of his gi was completely gone, incinerated from the energy of the beam. Aside from a few scorch marks on his skin, however, Bardock seemed completely unharmed. He dusted himself off, still glaring at the old man.

"Congratulations… I felt that." He muttered, his voice taking on a chilling hollowness.

After Bulma's relief subsided, she felt fear build up inside her once again, though this time it was for the life of the old man. Bardock didn't intend to kill this man. After all, damaging a Saiyan warrior- even a low-class warrior such as himself- was no small feat. That didn't change the fact that he was still angry at the old geezer. In a flash of movement, Bardock's fist was buried in the old man's gut. He let out a pained gasp as his form reverted back to normal and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Bardock glared down at him for a moment before Bulma spoke up.

"You- you didn't kill him, right?" She asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, tuning on his heel and walking back towards their vessel.

"No, I just knocked him out. He'll be fine." He responded.

It was at this point that he noticed the look on her face. One of curiosity and, once again, fear. He sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll try not to make it a common thing. I only did that because he pissed me off." He admits.

"He blasted you point blank…and you're still standing." She whispered, staring at him in awe.

Bardock's dark onyx orbs locked onto her sapphire ones and her breath caught in her throat.

"Who are you?" She asked.

He was silent for a moment.

"I'm just a man looking to make a living. Come on. We still have to collect three more of these things." He pointed out before climbing back into the ship.

Bulma stood on the sand, stunned for a long moment before she, too, clambered back into the vessel and began to lift off. Bardock glanced down at the shore as they lifted into the air, smiling slightly when he saw the old man begin to move. He was tougher than Bardock thought, no doubt a strong warrior. Perhaps they would meet on the battlefield one day. He couldn't deny the thought excited him, that there might actually be opponents worth fighting on this planet.

"Hey Bulma," he spoke suddenly, using her name for the first time, "does the planet have sanctioned fights?"

She seemed confused for a moment before responding.

"Yeah, we have martial arts tournaments every few years…why?"

He grinned and glanced over at her.

"I was wondering if you knew where and when the next one might be."


	3. That'll Do, Pig

Dislcaimer: I don't own anything, yadda yadda. Also made some changes. Hop you enjoy!

* * *

If Bulma was having trouble ignoring Bardock's physique before, now she could barely stop herself from staring and drooling. He was well-muscled, with more than a few scars to accent his manliness. It certainly didn't help that his shirt had been burned off, although he didn't seem to notice or care. He did notice, however, that she was staring at him.

"What are you looking at?" He grunted.

She snapped out of her daydream, immediately locking her eyes on the sky as they flew along.

"Nothing!" She answered far too quickly.

"If you're wondering where I got these scars, I think it's pretty obvious." He said.

She remained silent, which Bardock found a little surprising. He couldn't get her to shut up until this point and now he was the one chatting up a storm. Well, far be it from him to deny a bit of silence.

"So…do you want a new shirt?" She asked.

He sighed. He should have known it wouldn't last. He shrugged in response.

"Not unless you have one that fits, which I doubt, or you're willing to sew one for me, which I also doubt." He replied.

"W-well you can't go walking around without a shirt on." She stuttered slightly.

"Why not?" He questioned bluntly.

"People will stare." She replied lamely.

"At their own risk. Anyone so much as looks at me wrong, they'll find themselves on the wrong end of my temper." He snorted.

"About that…did you really have to punch the old man?"

"He blasted me."

"Well yeah… and I guess he did stare at my chest… Still, it felt a little cruel."

"Why do you care what I do?"

"Because your actions reflect on me!" She huffed.

"You hit him first." He retorted.

"But it didn't hurt him!" She argued.

"It doesn't matter now, we have the orb. Besides, the old man will be fine. He started moving as we left."

"He did?" She asked.

Bardock nodded. She let out a short sigh of relief.

"Good…that makes me feel a little better."

"How far until we reach the next orb?" He asked suddenly.

She rolled her eyes but glanced at the radar.

"Not far, only a few towns away."

He nodded as silence fell over the cockpit once again. It remained silent for a while this time, the only sound being the whirring of the jet and the rushing of the wind.

"How old are you?" Bulma asked suddenly.

"What?" Bardock glanced over at her.

She swallowed nervously before glancing back at him.

"If you're an alien, you might age differently than humans." She explained.

He snorted and went back to staring through the windshield. She was convinced he wouldn't respond until, after a moment, he did.

"By my planet's standards, I would be thirty-eight." He replied.

She was surprised to feel a bit of disappointment sink into her stomach.

"Oh… wow. That's...really?" She asked next.

He thought for a moment.

"Yes... why, is that a problem?" He answered.

Bulma quickly shook her head.

"No! No problem!" She answered quickly.

He didn't respond, so she continued.

"It's just... you don't look a day older than me."

"So what?" He grunted.

"Well…don't you think that's a little weird?" She asked.

He turned to glance at her.

"Not really. Saiyans stay in their prime until they're very old."

Her eyes widened.

"O-oh…but if people ask you how old you are, and you say you're 38, they won't believe you."

He snorted.

"How old should I say I am then, miss know-it-all?"

She decided to take that as a compliment.

"Just tell everyone you're eighteen." She answered with a grin.

"Fine. Not like it makes a difference."

'It does to me.' She thought to herself. 'Wait, what am I saying?! He's twenty years older than me!'

"Did you say something?" He asked so suddenly, she was afraid she had said it out loud.

No, she definitely didn't. He couldn't read minds…right?

"Hey, Bulma," he snapped, getting her attention, "we're here."

She nodded dumbly and brought the ship in for a landing at the edge of a quaint little village. Upon exiting the vessel, however, it seemed to be abandoned. She glanced around, concerned as she shrank the ship back into its capsule.

"Hello?" She called out, her voice echoing eerily off the buildings. "It looks like a ghost town… But the radar definitely says the dragon ball is here."

"Good. That means less work." Bardock pointed out.

"Aren't you even a little curious what happened to these people?" She asked, walking down the main street as he followed beside her.

"No." He answered bluntly. "Like I said, this makes it easier to get what we need and move on."

It wasn't a very big town, with only two or three dozen buildings and a clock tower in the center square. Or at least, what qualified as the center square. Bulma jumped slightly as the clock struck the hour, letting out a slight chuckle at her own paranoia. However, a reason for her to be worried quickly presented itself as the ground began to shake and rumble in a rhythmic pattern.

"Wh-wh-what is that?" She asked, dropping all her bravado and hiding behind Bardock.

She would be embarrassed about it later, right now she didn't want to die. Bardock didn't seem troubled, even chuckling at her actions as he turned to face the approaching entity. Bulma paled when she saw some sort of giant monster walking towards the village. With only a few, thundering steps it stood less than ten feet from them. It grinned maliciously down at them, a deep rumbling chuckle echoing from its chest.

"So, there are still villagers dumb enough to face me?" It growled.

Bardock crossed his arms and glared up at the beast.

"Leave now and I will let you keep your life." He said plainly.

The beast laughed heartily once more, glaring down at the two tiny humans. Or at least, what he assumed were humans.

"You really think you can defeat me?" It goaded.

"I know I can." Bardock responded confidently.

The monster sneered at him.

"Move aside, tiny man." He growled, moving his gaze to the blue-haired girl.

It was obvious the monster was leering at her, looking her up and down as he licked his disgusting lips. Bulma shuddered. Bardock's eyes narrowed slightly, moving forward with blinding speed. The monster had no time to react as Bardock buried his fist into its stomach.

"Hurnk!" It groaned, falling onto its back in a strange poof of smoke.

Bardock blinked in surprise, as now lying before him was a short, fat little pig.

"What in the hell?" He murmured.

Even this was strange to him. He had fought shape changers only once before, but they were much stronger than the swine that threatened him. Bulma peered out from behind him, blinking in surprise as well.

"He was a pig?" She asked incredulously.

"I guess so." Bardock replied, walking up and nudging the pig with his foot.

As he did, a small golden orb rolled out from his pocket. Bardock calmly picked it up and handled it to Bulma.

"Only two more to go." He said, grinning at her slightly.

She slowly reached out and grabbed the orb from his hand, returning the grin as she put it with the others. It was at this point she noticed the townsfolk begin to emerge from their homes. Apparently, the town wasn't abandoned after all, they had just been hiding from the "monster" terrorizing them. After many thanks towards Bardock for defeating the monster, of which he quickly grew annoyed, Bulma waved goodbye to the good townsfolk and popped out her jet yet again.

"You're a hero." She commented as they took off into the air.

"No, I'm not." Bardock argued, although he hardly seemed passionate about it.

She smiled slightly.

"Well, whether you want to admit it or not, you're a good man."

She glanced over at him, taken aback by his unreadable expression.

"What?" She asked, managing to keep her blush to a minimum.

"You wouldn't be calling me a hero if you knew more about me." He answered.

"Well, then maybe you should tell me." She reasoned.

For a moment it seemed like he was considering it before he shook his head.

"I've just done a lot of things I regret." He said cryptically.

"But you've got a new start here." She pointed out. "You can be whoever you want to be."

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to change who I am." He muttered.

She was silent for a moment.

"Maybe I can help you." She said quietly.

He glanced over at her curiously.

"And how could you do that?"

She began blushing again.

"Well, I mean… no offense but you seem pretty angry… and violent."

He scoffed.

"So do you."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"The point," she continued, "is that you might learn how to be less violent by hanging around."

"Is that a suggestion or a request?" He asked, smirking at her.

She pointedly ignored his gaze.

"Do you want a place to sleep or not?" She asked.

"I could always sleep in the wild, you know," he mused for a moment, "but I guess it would get really boring really quickly. At least you entertain me."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She asked indignantly.

Bardock chuckled at her reaction, crossing his arms behind his head. It was at this moment Bulma was reminded he was lacking a very important piece of clothing.

"We really need to find you a shirt…" She grumbled.

"I told you I don't need one." He commented.

"It's not for you!" She retorted without thinking.

"Who's it for, then?" He shot back.

She fumbled for an answer.

"Like I said before… People will stare."

"Like you?"

She froze. So he HAD noticed.

"Honestly, I don't know if it's worth the effort, but if you insist." He continued, thankfully moving on from the subject.

She let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll find you something when we land."

"And how long will that be?" He asked.

She checked her coordinates.

"About three hours." She answered.

A loud groan followed and she couldn't help smiling slightly.

"We really need to work on your patience, too."

"Don't push your luck, blueberry."

"…Did you just call me a blueberry?"

"Yeah, because of your hair."

"You do realize you're named after a leaf, right?"

He shrugged.

"Fine by me."

She rolled her eyes and went back to watching their flight path. Maybe she could get him to talk a little more on the way. Although, she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted him to keep talking at this point. On the other hand, she was finding it difficult to sate her curiosity. Here she was face to face with an alien- one that looked strangely human, no less- and he had said next to nothing about who he was or where he was from. All she had managed to figure out so far was that he had a rough past, that much was obvious from the scars he bore on his chest and face. But that wasn't nearly enough for the mind of a scientist. She hoped to find out more about him eventually. Maybe he would open up… It would take a while, of that she was certain. For now, she just had to be happy he was associating with her. She realized she was staring at him again, but this time for a completely different reason. She shook herself out of her stupor, thanking the gods that he hadn't noticed again.

'Get a grip, Bulma.' The voice in her head spoke. 'You don't want to drive away probably the strongest guy on Earth.'

She lost herself in thought yet again, remaining silent for most of the trip. It was easy to tell when they were approaching the destination, as the very sky began to glow orange and the temperature began to rise. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. They were now in the territory of The Ox King… Fire Mountain.


	4. The Realm of the Ox King

Disclaimer: All the characters in this story belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release!

* * *

Bardock had seen no shortage of strange things in his time as one of Frieza's henchmen, but he could honestly admit he had never seen an entire mountain engulfed in flame before.

"What is this place?" He asked as he gazed out the windshield.

"Fire Mountain." Bulma replied.

He snorted at that, but could clearly see she was concerned.

"What's so dangerous about this place?" He asked.

"You mean besides the raging inferno?" She replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes, sighing when he grinned cheekily.

"There's a castle at the top of the mountain that belongs to a man called the Ox King. Rumors say he's one of the most dangerous men alive." She explained.

"I guess we should be expecting a fight, then." He said.

She looked over at him with wide eyes.

"Are you crazy?! Look, I know you're strong and confident in your abilities… but even you would have trouble taking this guy down. He's a giant! At least ten feet tall and nothing but muscle!" She said.

"I've fought bigger." He said nonchalantly.

That caught her off-guard, silencing her for a moment. She sighed, bringing the jet in for a landing. She jumped when the alert system started blaring, warning her of some oncoming danger.

"SHIT!" She shouted, barely managing to maneuver away from the flames.

It was almost like they had a mind of their own, leaping out and trying to consume the ship. She had gotten too close to the fire when she tried to land and now she couldn't even spot a place to set down. She was beginning to sweat and pant. The heat was unbearable. Bardock, on the other hand, only looked mildly annoyed.

"Come on, we're getting out of here." He said simply, unfastening his belt.

"What?" Bulma asked, blinking to clear her vision. It was so hot, she could barely think.

"This thing is like an oven. If we don't get out, we're going to burn." He explained, not waiting for her to push the button.

He pushed the windshield away from the ship with a simple shove, grabbing her out of her seat. He ignored her indignant yelp and screams of terror as he carried her, watching the ship disappear into the flames.

"PUT ME DOWN!" She commanded, flailing against him.

"Stop squirming or I'll drop you." He growled.

Her eyes widened and she gulped, looking down. They were high in the air above fiery doom… She nodded and fell silent. A few minutes passed before he was able to find somewhere to land, dropping her unceremoniously on the ground. She let out a grunt of discomfort, dusting herself off and glaring at him as she stood up.

"You totaled my ship!" She shouted at him.

He glared right back, a look that made her take a step back and reconsider for a moment. But she was still upset… although he had saved her life. Again. She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Thanks." She muttered.

If he heard her, he didn't seem to care, looking around the area.

"The castle isn't far from here." He pointed to the shadowed building. "But the fire is too intense for you to survive."

She looked at him incredulously.

"Me? What about you?!"

"I've had worse." He said simply.

She just shook her head.

"Sometimes I just don't understand you… Okay. How do we get there?"

"I could fly us over there."

She immediately shook her head. He grunted.

"Okay… I could try to put out the fire, but that would destroy the whole mountain."

Her eyes widened.

"You can do that?"

He nodded.

"Yes, but I'm trying not to be violent, remember?"

She was silent for a moment.

"Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad…"

He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, think about it! This guy is bad news. And that fire can't be good for the surrounding area. Maybe you should destroy it."

"Have you ever actually seen this Ox King?" He pointed out.

She shook her head.

"Then maybe he isn't the monster you think he is. Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Hey, that's my line!" She huffed. "Fine, whatever. So what are we supposed to do?"

"I could go by myself." He suggested.

"And leave me stranded here? No way."

He crossed his arms, starting to get annoyed.

"Why do want these orbs so badly?"

She glanced over at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You said they could grant any wish, right? Well, what are you going to wish for?"

She looked away, scuffing the ground with her boot.

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

He groaned.

"You know what? Fine, don't tell me. But so long as you feel like keeping secrets, I'm not helping."

"That's not fair!" She immediately retorted, glaring at him. "I barely know anything about you!"

He sighed.

"Look, this is getting us nowhere. Maybe we can make a deal?" He suggested.

She bit her lip in thought before nodding.

"Okay… I can do that."

He relaxed slightly, the tension coming out of his shoulders.

"Good. So, you tell me your wish and I'll answer a couple questions. Does that sound fair?"

She nodded again. He looked at her expectantly, gesturing for her to ask away. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Where are you from?" She asked.

"Far away… a place called Planet Vegeta." He answered.

She hadn't heard of any place with that name… but he seemed to be telling the truth.

"What did you mean when you said I didn't know you?"

He sighed.

"I used to be a mercenary under the thumb of a powerful dictator… thousands of times stronger than me."

She paled. He claimed he could destroy entire mountains. If that was true, what was his boss capable of?

"How did you end up here?"

He shook his head.

"Just lucky, I guess. I had to escape the destruction of my planet, I didn't really care where I ended up."

She nodded. That just made her so much more curious, but she was satiated for now.

"Alright… now tell me your wish."

She blinked in surprise. She had completely forgotten about that.

"Right… well, uh… you see…" She fumbled trying to figure out how to say it.

When she finally learned even a small bit of his story, her wish seemed so petty in comparison. She had never used the Dragon Balls before, but if they could grant any wish… Maybe he could save his family, if he had one, or even his entire planet.

"I was going to wish for a boyfriend." She finally admitted.

He raised an eyebrow. What the hell was a boyfriend?

"You mean a mate?" He asked.

Her face turned red.

"WHAT?! No, nothing like that! Just… someone to love, and hang out with, and go on dates…" She trailed off.

He shook his head, deciding not to question it.

"Whatever. So long as I get paid."

She let out a breath of relief, although she began to wonder if she should wish for something else.

"There's just one problem…" She gestured back to the fire that only seemed to be growing.

"Right. Stay here." He didn't give her a chance to respond before flying off.

"I THOUGHT WE AGREED YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME HERE!" She groaned loudly.

Well, nothing she could do but wait… and wait… and wait. It felt like he took forever, but in reality it was only fifteen minutes. She blinked in surprise when she saw him approaching… Wearing less clothes than before. Obviously, they had been burned off in the fire. She sighed, covering her face, happy that the heat was covering her blush.

"You REALLY need to get some new clothes." She muttered.

He landed beside her with a smug grin, chuckling as she put his orb with the others. Only one more to go.'

* * *

Unfortunately, after the destruction of her ship, she had to resort to being carried by Bardock again. She didn't complain nearly as much this time, actually enjoying being this close to the man... Not that she would ever admit it. It didn't too long, though, as they quickly reached the desert at the base of the mountain. Her radar said the last Dragon Ball was a few hundred miles into the dunes, so she had no doubt they would camping one or two nights. Fortunately, she still had the collapsible building capsule and popped it out as soon as the sun began to set.

"We could keep going for another hour." He grunted as he stepped inside.

"Maybe you could, but I need to relax and take a shower." She said over her shoulder, stepping into the bathroom.

She heard a faint grumble from outside and smiled slightly to herself. She was beginning to warm up to him and she had a feeling the same was true for him. She stepped into the shower, finally getting rid of that smoky smell and getting the sand out of her hair. She sighed in contentment, enjoying the nice, cold water. Bardock, on the other hand, had started digging around for new clothes, as she had suggested. It was nothing fancy, just a dark shirt and pants. He quickly grew bored and decided to explore a bit while she took her time in the shower. He had been to a few planets with deserts like this. Hell, even Planet Vegeta had some desolate areas. THis one seemed fare more peaceful to him. It was quiet and cold, but that didn't bother him. The sky was clear and he could see the stars. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted a shining, red planet. Could it be...? He growled and shook his head. No, his planet was gone. He made a mental note to ask Bulma about that planet later.

Meanwhile, back at the capsule house, a shadowed figure stalked around outside. It moved almost silently, peering in through the window before easily sneaking inside. The larger shadow kept watch outside while the smaller one made it's way towards the bathroom. Bulma was none the wiser as the door slowly opened, too busy lathering and rinsing her hair. She yelped when something heavy connected with her head. Her vision went blurry and for a second she swore she saw herself standing there before everything went dark.

When Bardock eventually returned, he immediately knew something was off. The first evidence of this was Bulma, splayed across the couch in a sultry position and wearing only a silk robe. The second piece was that she was giving him a flirty grin. And last, but certainly not least...

"You smell different." He grunted.

She laughed, standing from the couch and sauntering over to him.

"I just took a shower, that's not surprising."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"No, I mean you smell different... You're not Bulma."

He saw a brief flash of distress in her eyes, but it was a gone in a second. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pouted.

"Come on, big guy. Don't you want to have a little fun?"

He didn't reply, gripping the impostor by the neck and lifting her off her feet. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, squirming and kicking. His cold eyes stared up at her, filled with a silent fury.

"Where is Bulma?" He asked, his voice low and chilling.

She swallowed nervously, shifting back to her original form. He was less surprised this time as a floating cat appeared in front of him. He barely waited for an answer before stepping out of the house once again. He immediately spotted the tracks disappearing into the distance, igniting his aura and following them. For some reason, it wasn't money or even the Dragon Balls on his mind as he pursued the kidnapper. It was Bulma and whether or not she was alive. Hmph. Apparently being the only person he knew on this planet made her kind of important. Of course, his pride would never let him admit that out loud. As the wind whipped through his hair, he began to wonder... Could he ever truly be happy again?


	5. The Eternal Dragon

Disclaimer: All the characters in this story belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release!

* * *

The footprints stopped not far from the capsule house. It only took him a matter of seconds to reach the end of the trail. He could only assume the kidnapper had taken Bulma in some sort of vehicle, most likely one that could fly or at least hover over the sand. He could always go back and ask that floating cat which way they went… but the shapeshifter was probably long gone. He scowled, looking around as the cold wind blew through his hair. If he just had his scouter, then he wouldn't be having any trouble. Just then, it struck him.

He rushed back to the capsule house. Just as he expected, the cat was gone, but he didn't care. He nearly tore the place apart to find what he was looking for. He let out a sigh of relief when he finally did. There were six, blinking dots about a mile from his current position and still moving further away. Fortunately, it wasn't moving in the same direction as the final ball, which was still a fair distance off. With radar in hand, he stepped back out into the night and took off flying after her.

She would probably yell at him for leaving her house in the middle of nowhere like that, but he could care less. That was the least of his concerns. The blazing white aura engulfed him like a flame, igniting the Saiyan blood in his veins. He was itching for a fight…although he would probably just find another punching bag. Honestly, only the old man and the Ox King had done any real damage. He doubted a simple bandit could do any more. He caught up within a few minutes, glaring down at the cloud of dust speeding along. His aura dissipated as he dropped straight down, landing on the sand gently and holding a hand out towards the vehicle. It swerved to avoid him, but the brakes weren't good enough, and it connected.

Bardock's arm bent at the elbow as he absorbed the impact, but he didn't move from his spot. He immediately spotted the head of blue hair on the back of the bike and he ground his teeth in anger. He approached the fallen bandit, lying a few feet away and groaning. He had long, unruly black hair, not unlike that of a Saiyan. He stood as Bardock approached, reaching for the sword on his belt. Bardock just grinned. This was going to be fun. The bandit yelled and rushed forward, honestly with more speed than Bardock expected, but nothing he couldn't handle. He dodged the swipe of the blade easily. He didn't even move his arms or legs, only his torso and head as the bandit continued swinging wildly.

Eventually Bardock grew bored of this and crushed the blade in his fist. The bandit looked stunned, but lunged forward for another attack. Bardock could have sworn he heard the howling of a wolf as the bandit struck more swiftly and ferociously than before. It was better than the blade, but not by much. Two of the blows managed to connect, but only because Bardock chose to block them. Bardock shoved his hand forward with an open palm, straight into the chest of the bandit. He let out a gasp as the breath was knocked out of him, tumbling no less than thirty feet away as he rolled head over heels. Bardock snorted, moving to check on Bulma. Aside from the bump on the head, she looked fine. And a quick check in the bag revealed she still had the orbs.

Now, to take care of the… He paused, looking around. The bandit was gone. The large groove in the sand where he had been laying was no longer occupied. There were several rocky structures around. No doubt he was hiding behind one of them, but Bardock didn't really care. He had gotten what he wanted. So, he hoisted Bulma into his arms and started flying back towards the capsule house. It should still be there, as far as he knew. It was a little disconcerting to not have the blue-haired woman yelling at him to put her down over and over. He had gotten quite used to her sharp tongue and quick wit and to have her just be silent felt…wrong. He arrived back at the house shortly, the whole encounter lasting no more than an hour. He put her to bed before cleaning up the place. He wondered if she would even remember what happened when she woke in the morning.

* * *

She groaned, slowly sitting up in her bed as soft sunlight shone through the window. She ached all over and there was a throbbing pain in her skull. What the hell happened? The last thing she remembered was taking a shower and then… nothing. Something must have happened, though, because she was back in her bed. Her first thought was that Bardock had carried her here, but that couldn't be right. Then again, she didn't remember crawling her way here or anything, so that must be the case. Maybe she had slipped on some soap in the shower? No, that didn't feel right, either… She sighed, deciding she might as well get up and get dressed. She could ask Bardock what happened when she got downstairs.

She was a bit hesitant to step in the shower again, but for some reason she just felt itchy all over. It was a bit surprising to find sand in her pajamas. That meant she had either gone outside and forgotten or she had been taken outside. Yet another question for the mystery man, Bardock. Sure, they were in a desert, but she didn't remember going for a midnight stroll. Nevertheless, she spent time in the shower again, drying her hair and getting dressed before making her way out into the main area. Everything looked… different. Not bad, just different. She paused when she saw Bardock laying on the couch, wearing new clothes with his arms propped behind his head.

"Hey, are you asleep?" She called out to him.

There was a moment of silence before his eyes opened and he looked over at her.

"Not anymore. What do you want, blueberry?"

She frowned.

"Well, firstly I don't want you to call me that. And secondly…what happened?"

He sat up slowly.

"Well, you were kidnapped last night-"

"WHAT?!" She interrupted with a shout.

He sighed.

"Do you want to know what happened or not?"

"OF COURSE I DO!"

"Then shut up and listen."

She had half a mind to give him a verbal lashing, but clamped her mouth shut, deciding that her curiosity- and worry- outweighed her anger.

"Okay… Some bandits sneaked in here and kidnapped you last night. One of them was a shapeshifter like the pig, even tried to disguise itself as you."

She nodded, listening intently.

"I knew it wasn't you right away-"

"Wait, how did you know?" She interrupted again.

"It smelled different." He says nonchalantly.

She crossed her arms.

"Oh? And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what I said. Now hush, I'm telling the story."

She rolled her eyes but continued listening.

"They definitely weren't after the orbs. I think it was just a coincidence that you had them on you. At any rate, I followed the radar to find you. Then I beat up the bandit and brought you back here. That's about it." He explained.

She was silent for a long moment, processing his words. There were some parts of the story that didn't surprise her and others that did. At any point, Bardock could have taken the balls and gone for the seventh, but he didn't. He decided to rescue her…again. She was really starting to hate being the damsel in distress. Maybe he could teach her how to fight. How to do what he did. Maybe… She shook her head, snapping out of her stupor.

"Well thanks." She said shortly. "We should get moving."

He nodded, preparing for the trip ahead. Judging by his story, she had been wrong. He had carried her to bed. And by the looks of it, he cleaned up the place, too. She couldn't help but smile slightly. Maybe he didn't just care about money or the wish after all. A girl could hope. After fifteen minutes, they were ready to go and Bulma popped the house back into its capsule. She had a hover scooter for transport, but it only seated one. Bardock didn't really care, as she quickly found out he could run as fast as the machine… If not faster. Once again, she was blown away by his abilities. Just what was he? How did he get this strong? She didn't know if those questions would ever be answered.

The trip through the desert took a few hours, but they finally came across the source of the signature for the last orb. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was surrounded by a giant palace that no doubt had guards, traps, and other such nasty things just waiting to spring out at them. She wasn't worried, though. They hadn't encountered anything Bardock couldn't handle so far. Of course, talking was out of the question. They had already come to terms with that. They had to fight for the majority of the dragon balls or at least face some sort of challenge. In this case, however, it was more of a maze… or a fun house, just with added danger. As they expected, there were traps and triggers at every turn. One area even looked like a giant pinball machine! With Bardock at her side, it was child's play to get passed them.

They eventually made it to the throne room, after almost two hours of traveling through the troublesome trials. The doors, of course, were very large, ornate, and locked. Bardock knocked them down with a single kick. Bulma definitely heard a yelp of panic and some skittering, but saw no one in the room as the final orb came into sight. There it was. The one star ball, sitting atop a pedestal at the top of the stairs near the throne.

"Um…hello? I know you're in here!" She called out.

"Go away!" A squeaky, nasally voice replied. "You're not welcome here!"

"We're just here for the ball!" She replied.

"NO! You can't have it!" The voice replied.

"Well, we're taking it." Bardock snorted, striding towards the orb.

"WAIT! STOP RIGHT THERE!" The voice shouted.

However, no one appeared as Bardock simply plucked it from the pedestal.

"CURSE YOU! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, YOU SPIKY-HAIRED NEANDERTHAL!"

That was the last they heard of him before he scampered away, followed by two more sets of footsteps.

"Well that was easy." Bardock said with a grin. "Are you ready to make your wish?"

Her eyes widened.

"You mean in here?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Would you rather do it outside?"

She nodded. He just shrugged. Whatever, so long as he got paid. It took much less time to find the exit. I mean, it was right there in the throne room… They made their way out of the castle, leaving it behind as they arranged the balls on one of the many sand dunes. Bulma took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly.

"I have collected all seven dragon balls! Eternal dragon, rise and grant my wish!" She called out.

There was a brief moment of complete silence- even the wind stopped- before the sky turned pitch black and the orbs began to glow rhythmically. Suddenly, a beam of golden light shot from the orbs, spiraling up into the sky as the storm began to rage, thunder rolling and lightning striking only dozens of feet from their location. Bulma was shaking like a leaf, frightened and in awe as the golden light began to take shape. Even Bardock with his strange experiences had never seen something like this before. He gazed up at the creature as it's dark green scales and blazing red eyes came into view. Its head lowered towards them and for a moment BUlma was afraid it would gobble them both up for dinner. Then, unexpectedly, it began to speak in a deep, echoing voice.

" **I am the eternal dragon."** It spoke. **"Speak your wish and it shall be granted."**

Her mouth went dry and her voice left her. She had come this far, but now she was too afraid to say anything! Unfortunately, the dragon grew impatient.

" **Speak up! I haven't got all night."** It grumbled.

Bardock stepped forward at that point.

"Dragon, I have a wish for you!" He called out.

Its fiery gaze moved away from Bulma and she sighed in relief, collapsing to her knees.

" **Then speak your wish."** The dragon repeated.

Bardock clenched his fists.

"I wish to be more powerful than Frieza!"

The dragon hummed for a second.

" **This request cannot be granted. It is beyond my power."**

"What?! I thought you could grant any wish!" He yelled.

" **I cannot grant any wish that is beyond the power of my creator."** It explained.

Bardock growled. "Fine… Then I wish to know where to find your creator!"

The dragon hummed again and his eyes began to glow.

" **Your wish… Has been granted."**

Suddenly, the information flashed through his mind. A tall tower, pointing high up into the sky. And hovering miles above it, suspended in the air, was a giant floating island. His eyes opened just in time to see the orbs spiral and shoot off to all different corners of the planet. Bulma had explained that once they were used, they laid dormant for a year to regain their energy. He turned to her, then, helping her off the ground. She looked up at him, but didn't say anything.

"So…what do we do now?" She asked.

He grinned.

"Well… why don't you tell me about this planet?"

She thought for a moment.

"Alright… on one condition. You tell me about yours."

He sighed, but nodded after a moment. She smiled.

"Great! Next stop: Capsule Corporation!"


	6. Korin's Tower

Disclaimer: All the characters in this story belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release!

* * *

There was a brief argument about their destination. Bulma, of course, wanted to go home to West City. After laughing about how unoriginal the name was- yes, he saw the hypocrisy, as his King and Prince were both named after the Planet Vegeta- but he told her that he wanted to visit the tower he saw in his vision, as well as the floating palace above it. With a description, Bulma was able to tell him this was most likely Korin's Tower. Little was known about the monument, except that it seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky and that there was a rumor centered around it. The rumor said that whoever managed to climb the tower without resting would find strength beyond their imagination.

This was more than enough incentive for the Saiyan, but Bulma was a bit more hesitant. Although she didn't have a jet, this sidetracking would take days- if not weeks- off their travel time. Bardock made the point that he could fly them pretty much anywhere in a matter of hours, but she refused to be carried for that long. And she didn't think she had enough fuel in her hover bike to make the trip to the tower AND her home city. So, they found themselves at an impasse.

"Maybe I should have just wished myself there." He mused with a chuckle.

"This isn't funny!" She griped as they marched along.

It would take a couple days to reach the edge of the desert. If they continued on their current path, they would reach a forest not long after that, and in the depths of the forest stood the tower. She was already getting tired with the constant walking and the sand spreading to places that made her uncomfortable. She was beginning to consider his offer… but she had to keep her pride. She sighed.

"Okay… I'll let you fly me to the tower. After you're done climbing it, or whatever, then we go to my house. Deal?" She held a hand out towards him.

He smirked and shook her head with a nod. She noticed his grip was firm, but not painful. After what she had seen him do, she was surprised he hadn't crushed her hand. Then again, maybe he was getting better at controlling his power.

"This must feel like such a fragile place." She commented.

He shrugged.

"I'm used to it. Most of the planets Frieza sent us to overthrow were governed by less powerful creatures." He explained.

He had mentioned something about Saiyans being a warrior race, but she could barely imagine a whole planet of them. Bardock was strong enough on his own…

"How many planets did you conquer?" She asked.

He shrugged again.

"I didn't keep count."

She nodded and fell silent. The silence lasted for a while, at least until they set up camp for the night. But it seemed like he didn't want to talk anymore. So, the days continued much like that, with her learning more about him and vice versa. He picked up Earth customs quickly, she noticed. Of course, there were more than a few things that took explaining.

"So you're telling me… that your president is a dog?" He asked.

She chuckled and nodded.

"Hm… Well, we had a king on my planet. He was actually named after the planet and so was his son."

She tilted her head.

"So if you were talking about Vegeta… would he ask 'My son, the planet, or me?"

He glanced over at her and grinned.

"Yes." He said simply.

She laughed and smiled at him. It took a moment before she caught herself, glancing away almost too quickly and brushing her hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat.

"So…how fast can you fly?" She asked.

"Faster than this." He said simply.

Honestly, she didn't know what she expected him to say. If he was flying slow enough for them to hear each other, then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to guess he could fly much faster.

"Do you think you could teach me?"

"How to fly?"

She nodded.

"I suppose. I could probably teach you a few things about fighting, too."

She pouted.

"Hey, I'm capable of defending myself."

He just chuckled and shook his head. She had quickly grown used to being carried by him. He never seemed to grow tired of it, either, no matter how far he carried her. It was actually kind of relaxing. Nevertheless, she was still sore about the time it took to reach this mystical tower in the woods. However, she had to admit, seeing it from a distance was breathtaking.

"I can't even see the top." She murmured.

"I'd guess that's part of the challenge he replied, setting down near the base.

There was a doused campfire nearby, along with a small tent.

A large man stepped out, glancing at the duo curiously. He was taller than Bardock, but only a few inches. His muscles bulged impressively as well. He looked like a skilled fighter. Bardock might have challenged him if he weren't on a mission.

"It's not often I get visitors." The man spoke, his voice deep and commanding. "Especially ones that can fly."

Bardock set Bulma on the ground and addressed the man.

"We don't want any trouble. We're just here for the tower."

The nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I see you've heard of the challenge." He paused. "But if you can fly, why not go straight to the top?"

"I want to earn it." Bardock said simply. "What's your name?"

The large man grinned and extended a hand.

"Bora." He introduced himself.

Bardock shook his hand, using a bit more strength to make an impression.

"Bardock. Could my companion stay here with you while I complete my challenge?"

Bora nodded.

"Of course." He smiled over at her.

She grinned and waved in response. He seemed friendly.

"Hi, I'm Bulma."

The large man nodded, grabbing a spear from beside the tent.

"If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate if you watch my child while I hunt."

Bulma seemed curious, but nodded and made her way into the tent. She hadn't really taken care of a kid before… But how hard could it be?

Bardock, on the other hand, had begun climbing the tower right away. He had to refrain from flying or jumping to cover the distance more quickly, only using the natural hand and footholds of the giant totem pole to push himself further.

* * *

The hours passed. Day turned to night as Bora returned with fresh meat, checking on his guest and his young son. Bulma was cradling him in her arms. He was fast asleep. Bora smiled and sat beside her.

"How has he been?"

She grinned tiredly.

"He's very well-behaved… But I'm a city girl. I'm not used to all this." She gestured around.

He chuckled, but nodded.

"Despite this, you seem to be getting along."

She shrugged in response, handing the son over to his father and rubbing her eyes.

"You may sleep in the tent if you wish."

She blinked a few times and shook her head.

"No, I couldn't do that. I don't want to intrude."

He tilted his head.

"But then where will you sleep?"

She grinned.

"I'll show you."

She ducked out of the tent, Bora following closely behind her. She pulled a capsule from her belt and tossed it a few yards away. With a soft *pop* there was now a small house in the clearing. His eyes widened and he stared in surprise.

"You carry a house in your pocket?"

She nodded.

"Yep. It's all thanks to my father. Well… I guess I can take some credit for the idea."

"Amazing…" He admired the advanced technology before he suddenly looked up.

She eyed him curiously for a moment before he looked back down at her.

"It seems your husband has found his way to the top."

She immediately blushed and shook her head. "Oh! No, no…we're not together."

He tilted his head once more, but didn't press the issue. She glanced up the tower as well.

"He really climbed it that quickly?"

"Truly, he is a strong warrior." Bora claimed.

She nodded silently… What was going on up there?

* * *

Bardock gripped the cat by the scruff of the neck and held him over the side, seething with rage.

"Not so funny now, is it?!" He practically growled.

The cat squirmed and yelped, trying to break free, but Bardock was too strong. However, it wasn't easy to reach this point. When he first arrived at the top of the tower, he hadn't been expecting much. He saw the plain vial propped up on a pedestal and assumed it was some sort of elixir to boost your energy. Upon grabbing for it, however, he discovered it had been moved at the last second by a troublesome cat. At first Bardock suspected it was another shapeshifter. He had since determined that was not the case. But this cat had no problems creating illusory copies of himself and leading Bardock on a wild goose chase around the tower.

He had only just caught the infuriating feline and had half a mind to just drop him.

"Put me down!" The cat shouted. "If you don't put me down, so help me, I'll contact Kami! Then you'll be sorry!"

Bardock just grunted and flung the caught back towards the pedestal, leaving him to gasp and heave for breath.

"What the hell is a Kami?" Bardock asked, crossing his arms.

The cat rubbed his scruff, glaring at Bardock for a second before answering.

"It means God. But more specifically, he's the guardian of this word. He watches over everyone from his floating island."

"I know all this already. How do I get to him?"

The cat scoffed.

"You can't! Not unless he lets you."

Bardock snorted, walking towards the edge.

"Well, then I guess I'll have to convince him."

The cat seemed bewildered for a second, scampering in front of the tall man.

"Wait!"

Bardock groaned and looked down at him, obviously frustrated.

"You're clearly a strong guy, otherwise you wouldn't have made it up the tower so fast."

"Get to the point, cat." He crossed his arms again.

The cat grumbled under his breath a bit before replying.

"If you're really going to see Kami… then you'll need these."

He handed Bardock a small pouch. He eyed it curiously, opening it and looking inside.

"A bag of beans?" He questioned.

The cat nodded.

"Just one bean can restore your energy and heal most wounds."

Bardock looked skeptical, but tied them to his belt.

"I guess I should say thanks." He stepped past the cat once more.

This time, Korin didn't stop him as Bardock went into free-fall off the side of the tower. He hummed, scratching one of his ears.

"I hope you're ready, Kami… this one might even be stronger than your other half."

There was no verbal reply, but Korin heard a faint voice in his head.

' _I know.'_ It said simply.

* * *

After returning to the ground and explaining the situation, once again they were at an impasse. Bulma wanted him to hold up his end of the agreement- that they would visit her home after he climbed the tower- but Bardock insisted on going and training with Kami. After a heated dispute, which Bora found mildly amusing, they came to an agreement.

"It's not like the tower is going anywhere! And now you know where it is! Look, you don't have to stay that long, I just want to show you the city. And, more importantly, Capsule Corporation. After that, you can do whatever you want." Bulma offered.

Bardock considered for a long moment before sighing and nodding his head. She grinned, considering that a win.

"But first… we should probably sleep here for the night." She suggested.

Bardcok just shrugged and made his way inside the capsule house. Bulma was about to do the same, but she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Bora looking at her expectantly.

"Yes?" She asked curiously.

He had a knowing smile.

"I may not be very old, but I can see a connection between you two."

She scoffed and turned away, trying to hide her blush.

"What, that insensitive jerk? Not a chance."

He chuckled. "You will see it, too. In time."

Then he turned and ducked into his tent. She just stood there, contemplating his words for a few minutes before moving into the capsule house. She spotted Bardock on the couch out of the corner of her eye and paused on the staircase.

"Hey, Bardock?"

She called out.

"What?" He replied, not bothering to open his eyes.

"…Thanks." She said simply, hurrying up the rest of the steps.

She didn't hear a response, nor did she see the slight smile that spread across his lips.

"No problem, blueberry." He muttered to himself, falling into a peaceful slumber.


	7. Capsule Corp

Disclaimer: All the characters in this story belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release!

* * *

Bulma and Bardock said goodbye to Bora and set out the next morning. With the help of Bardock's flight, traversing the forest was much easier, although Bulma was careful to make sure they didn't fly directly into the city. She wanted to avoid the media for the time being. The journey still took more than a week before they reached the outskirts of the bustling metropolis. Along the way, Bulma had taught Bardock as much as she could about the laws and expectations of most citizens. He looked normal enough, thankfully, and only a few people gave the duo a second glance as they walked through the streets. She was the daughter of a famous scientist after all. It didn't take long for her to lead him to Capsule Corp. Or rather the building she called home. The Corporation was much larger than one building. A floating robot answered the door when Bulma rang the bell, greeting the youngest Brief and her guest.

"It looks like you do pretty well for yourself." Bardock mused, looking about the giant capsule house.

Bulma nodded, taking him on a quick tour as she replied.

"My father is a genius. He had a hand in creating a lot of the flying cars you see around the city, not to mention on the Capsule Corp. products. But our most popular ones are the Poi Capsules, obviously." She explained.

He nodded along with her explanation. He didn't have much experience with the Elite class Saiyans, only being a low class himself, but he imagined it would have been very much like this. Except here they had robots to do everything for them instead of low class slaves. Bulma decided to leave the workshop for last on her little tour. Upon entering, the sounds of genius could be heard in the form of welding sparks and cranking tools.

"DAD! WE HAVE A GUEST!" Bulma cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to get his attention.

Bardock gave the strange contraption he was working on a curious glance, wondering what it could be. The older, purple-haired man stopped welding and lifted up his face shield.

"Oh! Bulma! You're back." He wiped his hands on his lab coat, climbing down a ladder to join them on the floor.

"And I see you've brought a boyfriend." He added with a grin, adjusting his glasses as a tiny, black kitten appeared on his shoulder.

"He's not my boyfriend!" She snapped and huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Dad, this is Bardock. Bardock, this is my dad. But you can call him Doctor Briefs." She added.

"A pleasure to meet you, young man." The scientist looked up at the tall man and held out his hand.

"Likewise." Bardock said simply, shaking the man's hand.

"That's quite a grip you have there." The good doctor commented, pulling his hand away.

"I work out." Bardock replied with a smirk.

"Is that so? Well then, I don't suppose you could help me move this heap of junk?" He lightly elbowed the machine he had been working on.

He glanced at Bulma ever so subtly and she shook her head slightly.

"Maybe if there were ten of me." Bardock decided to reply.

The doctor sighed.

"I guess that's fair. I've just been trying to get it to work all morning and... well, frankly, it's hopeless."

"What are you trying to make, anyway?" Bardock asked.

"Oh, I just had this crazy idea about a time machine." He waved a hand dismissively.

"Sometimes he experiments with theoretical science." Bulma whispered to Bardock, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"You're one to talk, missy! I know you theorize just as much- if not more than- me." The doctor interjected.

She rolled her eyes a bit.

"Is mom around?" She asked.

He scratched his mustache.

"I think I saw her in the garden earlier."

She nodded and turned to leave, waving to her father as she left. Bardock trailed behind her.

"He's an interesting guy." He commented.

She scoffed.

"I'm not sure 'interesting' is the best way to describe him. Maybe crazy or eccentric."

He shrugged.

"Not necessarily bad things."

"Whose side are you on?" She griped.

He chuckled, blinking several times and waiting for his eyes to adjust as they entered the garden area. It was essentially a giant greenhouse with a glass dome ceiling. They didn't have anything like this back on his home planet. He was mildly intrigued by the plant life, but was ripped away from his reverie when Bulma suddenly stopped and introduced him to her mother.

"Mom, this is Bardock. Bardock, this is-"

Her mother cut her off, strutting over to bardock with a wide grin.

"Oh my goodness, he's such a handsome man!" She cooed and wrapped her arms around one of his.

Bardock raised an eyebrow and looked at the quickly steaming Bulma.

"Mom! Don't embarrass me!"

Panchy giggled.

"Sorry sweetums! But you almost never bring visitors home, let alone strong, strapping men like this one. My name's Panchy! And it's so nice to meet you."

"Yeah... Same to you." He slowly but deliberately pulled his arm away from her.

She seemed to notice he was uncomfortable and took a step back.

"Well don't let me intrude on the fun, you two! I'll either be here or in the kitchen if you need me." She chirped and went right back to tending her plants.

"Is she always like this?" Bardock murmured quietly in Bulma's ear.

"Oh yes. Always." Bulma sighed, leading the way out of the giant greenhouse.

At this point Bardock had grown hungry, so they sat down for lunch in the kitchen. As usual, he served himself ten times what a normal man would eat. But Bulma had gotten used to it at this point... Mostly.

"So... what do you think?" She asked after a few minutes.

He stifled a burp as his last plate was cleaned, pondering for a moment.

"It's different." He said simply. "And not just the city, but the plants, the animals, the sun... Everything is so different. But I'm getting a hang of it." He shrugged.

She nodded along to his answer, resting her cheek on one hand.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked.

"Well, I want to go talk to Kami as soon as possible. He seems like a wise old teacher if ever there was one. Maybe I'll learn something from him. But... I also want to participate in that tournament you told me about."

She blinked for a second. She had totally forgotten she told him about that. She sat up straight, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh yeah. The 21st Tenkaichi Boudokai Tournament should be held around seven months from now." She mused, tapping her finger on her chin.

"That's more than enough time." He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the table and crossing his arms.

She frowned a bit.

"Hey. No feet on the table." He flicked his shoe.

He raised an eyebrow, almost surprised at how such a simple statement could seem like a command. He shrugged and slowly sank back to his original position. She grinned a bit.

"While I'm waiting for the tournament, is there any way I can make money?" He asked.

"Sure thing. There are tons of jobs in the city. You could be a bodyguard, a construction worker, a stage magician..." She listed off.

He sighed.

"I guess bodyguard is as good as I'm going to get... Alright, how do I get hired?"

"Actually, I had a thought about that. You've done a pretty good job of protecting me so far. And as the daughter of a famous family, I'm sure my parents would be thrilled to have someone I get along with protecting me." She suggested.

"So you would pay me...to keep doing what I've been doing?" He asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I can take care of myself just fine. But you ARE super strong. It's just so muggers don't get any funny ideas." She explained.

He chuckled a bit.

"You want me to be your muscle? Fine by me. I guess that means I'm staying here."

She nodded.

"Yeah, we have tons of space here, so you can sleep wherever you want... Except my room, obviously."

He snorted, slightly amused.

"What do you say? Do we have a deal?" She held out her hand.

"Do all people shake hands this much?" He asked.

"Just shake it." She demanded, rolling her eyes.

He reached out and shook her hand gently. She smiled and pulled her hand away.

"Good! Now, about your uniform..."


	8. The World Martial Arts Tournament

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

* * *

 _Seven months later..._

Bardock had initially complained about the uniform Bulma set out for him, but on the bright side he didn't have to wear it all the time. He spent most days with Bulma, just meandering around the city doing his job. To be honest, he really thought something interesting would happen in such a big city. But even at night, it seemed like no one posed a threat to the blue-haired genius.

Genius was an apt word to describe her. Bardock himself had done SOME work on his home planet, but never anything that extensive. Bulma, on the other hand, hadn't been exaggerating about helping her father invent plenty of new machines, most of which he had no idea what they did. At the very least, he was making some decent money. She had to teach him a bit more about how the currency worked here, but it was pretty simple. On another note, he had made his way to Kami's Lookout. But upon meeting the old man, Bardock discovered he was also an alien. A Namekian, to be precise, who came to Earth long ago from his home planet.

Kami and Bardock spoke of many things, including the creation of the Dragon Balls, but Kami quickly realized he wasn't the right person to train Bardock. So, he took Bardock to the Other World. Cue a quick trip over Snake Way and a very surprised King Kai greeting his first guest in a long time, let alone one who seemed not to notice his planet's gravity. They spoke at length as well and King Kai informed Bardock of the other Kais and galaxies. Of course, Bardock asked if King Kai could find Frieza for him. Upon hearing the name Frieza, King Kai discovered Bardock was a Saiyan, and subsequently told the man that he was still far too weak to face the tyrant alone. Though angered, Bardock knew this to be true, and wasted no time training on King Kai's planet.

He learned the Kaioken with ease and often trained with varying weights to increase his endurance. However, King Kai refrained from teaching him the Spirit Bomb. While not entirely evil, he could sense Bardock still had rage and anger in his heart. That wouldn't mix well with the technique. And so it was that Bardock trained there for six months, traveling back to Earth via Kami every so often to visit Bulma. She was unsurprisingly annoyed at his constant absence and threatened to fire him, but settled on lowering his pay. Bardock didn't mind in the least. Finally, it came time for the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. With his new training, Bardock was utterly certain he would win. But at the very least, he wanted to see the competition.

Now in present day, we find our intrepid battle-hungry Saiyan waiting in line to sign himself up for the tournament. Looking around at the crowd, he wasn't impressed.

"Just to make sure, you understand all the rules?" Bulma asked. She had been quizzing him for the last hour. He sighed.

"Yes. You've repeated it so many times that I think it's burned into my brain." He replied.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help. I would hate to see you lose on a technicality. Or a ring-out." She said.

"Trust me, I won't lose." He grinned slightly.

"Remember it's not just a test of skill or strength, okay? Tactics and intelligence come into play and you could be caught off-guard by a tricky move." She pointed out.

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. I'll be careful. Are you happy?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Next person in line, please step forward!" The man at the registration desk shouted.

"Well, good luck. Break a leg." Bulma quickly stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running off to find a seat.

Bardock stared after her for a second.

"I don't think anything could catch me more off-guard than that." He chuckled, shaking his head and walking up to the desk.

"Hello sir! I just need you to sign here and write down your home address, in the case that you win and we can't find you after the tournament." The man explained.

Bardock just nodded and did as the man said.

"Everything seems to be in order. You're contestant number will be drawn randomly from among several boxes in the elimination area. Once you've drawn your number, please listen for and remember it. The announcer will tell you which stage to go to." He said.

Once again, Bardock just nodded and made his way into the main area. After drawing his number, 70, all he had to do was wait.

* * *

"Could I have fighters number 69 and 70 in ring three please!" The referee called out.

Bardock had been leaning against a nearby wall until this point, observing. But upon hearing his number, he approached and stepped into the ring. It looked like his first opponent would be a giant of a man with an equally large mustache.

"You have one minute. Begin!" The ref said.

Bardock grinned as the lumbering oaf lurched forward, reaching down to try and grab him.

"Too slow, big guy." Bardock taunted, easily stepping out of the way and sweeping his leg.

The big man went down with a loud THUD, tumbling off the edge of the ring.

"Contestant number 70 advances!" The ref announced.

"Hmph. I hope my other fights are a little more entertaining than this." Bardock muttered.

Unfortunately, he would have no such luck. There were some skilled fighters in the bunch which were a far cry from the big wrestler he fought, but they were nowhere near his level of ability. He breezed through the elimination round and quickly advanced to the finals.

* * *

"Alright, it looks like all eight finalists are here." A young, blonde man wearing sunglasses said as he approached them.

Bardock looked around the room, noticing a familiar old man standing near a much younger woman in the corner. He smiled slightly and made his way over.

"Well, what do you know. Long time no see, old timer." He said.

Though his hair and clothes were different, it was most definitely the hermit he met on that island several months ago.

"Oh, it's you! I suppose I should have expected to see you here. Bardock was it?" He asked.

"That's right. And if I'm remembering right, you're Master R-"

"Shhh!" The old man interrupted him, looking around frantically.

Bardock raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want people to know my real name." The old man whispered. "I'm using a fake name! I live alone on an island for a reason, you know."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"Although I would like to win the prize money and bring back a few good-looking ladies." He turned and winked at the young woman.

She made an audible sound of disgust and walked away.

"Alright everyone, could I have your attention please?" The announcer called out.

Bardock and Roshi made their way over with the rest of the group... Aside from a rather large, smelly man. Even Bardock had to cover his nose due to the man's stench and he had smelled burned flesh before.

"The final round functions similarly to the elimination round. However, there is no time limit and whoever wins their bracket will move on to the next bracket and so forth. I'd like to ask each of you to draw a ballot from the box when your name is called." The announcer explained.

When it was Bardock's turn to draw, it looked like he would be facing the strange dinosaur-creature in the fourth match.

"Well, if nothing else this should be interesting." He chuckled.

After everyone had drawn their numbers, the announcer called the first match. A young bald boy named Krillin was going up against the putrid giant Bacterian.

"Good luck kid...you're gonna need it." Bardock muttered, grimacing slightly.


	9. Victory or Defeat?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Bardock was surprised the little bald kid managed to beat out Bacterian. It looked like the pipsqueak packed more of a punch than he expected, but he still had plenty of room to improve. The next fight was the old man against some scruffy-looking guy named Yamcha. That fight went exactly as Bardock expected. The last fight, however, took a turn he definitely wasn't expecting. The young woman from earlier stripped down right there in the ring to distract her opponent. It almost worked, too, but the man with the turban managed to overcome her interesting strategy. Finally, it was time for him to fight the dinosaur man.

Bardock didn't much care for the names of his opponents, so long as he had a good fight out of it. They both stepped into the ring and it was barely a few moments before the announcer started the match. It started with the dinosaur flying into the air with his huge wings and spitting a strange, pink gooey substance at Bardock. He easily sidestepped the attack and jumped into the air after his opponent. The dinosaur's eyes bulged as he saw Bardock rocketing up towards him and trying slamming Bardock with his tail. Bardock simply caught it, however, and spun him around, sending him flying down towards the ring. There was a huge CRASH as he connected and a cloud of dust rose where the beast lay dazed. Bardock crossed his arms, lowering himself to the ground as the announcer began the ten-count.

"There's no need for that. I've already won." He muttered, leaving the ring as the announcer reached ten.

As Bardock had suspected, it hadn't been a difficult fight. Maybe the next round would prove to be more interesting. The first fight was between the bald kid and the old man. Interestingly enough, they were moving at decent speeds, although he was pretty much the only one who could follow it. He sighed as the kid and the geezer took five minutes to explain their battle to the humans. It wasn't long before Bardock and the man with the turban were asked to step into the ring for their fight. Bardock eyed the man curiously, seeing he was well-muscled but also scrawny with more than a few ribs showing.

"I must win this tournament for my people." The man spoke in a strange accent. "They will not survive much longer without food and water."

Bardock narrowed his eyes slightly. "Well, then you'd better bring your best." He said.

And with that, the fight began. The man rushed forward, aiming a chop at Bardock's head. He easily blocked it, along with the kick that followed shortly after. The man's eyes widened as Bardock looked completely unfazed.

"Is that all you've got?" He goaded.

The man frowned, leaping high up into the air. Bardock watched with his arms crossed. What was he doing up there? The man then came rocketing back down, elbows crossed in front of him. Bardock could have easily dodged, but he wanted to see if there was any power behind this attack. The man connected with a direct hit to the top of Bardock's head, followed by a swift kick to the abdomen. Bardock stumbled back slightly, wanting to give this man some sense of accomplishment before knocking him out. Bardock grinned.

"Not bad. But not good enough." He said.

Before the man could reply, there was a flash of movement and Bardock's foot was planted in his gut. The man gasped and coughed for air before tumbling forward, incapacitated but not unconscious.

"And the winner of this round is... Bardock!" The announcer shouted as the crowd went wild.

"Hey... Stick around after the tournament. There's something I want to give you." Bardock muttered to the downed man.

He looked surprised, and a bit suspicious, but nodded anyway. Bardock nodded briefly as well before leaving the stage. There was a brief intermission, but then it was time for the final fight. Bardcok was concerned. Not because he was worried he would lose, but because of the particular date and time. There was supposed to be a full moon out and the last match would certainly last past sundown. He would have to be careful if he didn't want to transform in front of all these people. He had been careful in the past, simply taking a day away from Capsule Corp if he was there when the full moon rose. At any rate, if he did transform, at least he could control himself. A luxury he hadn't discovered until a few years prior. He didn't have any more time to think, however, as the final match was getting underway.

"Here we go." He sighed, emerging to a round of applause as he entered the ring.

* * *

He knew he was far stronger than the old man, but he also knew the geezer was particularly crafty. He might have to be cautious for this one.

"It's the moment you've all been waiting for, folks! The final match of the 21st World Martial Art Tournament starts now! Begin!" The announcer shouted.

Bardock rushed forward in a flash, barely giving the geezer any time to think. He wanted to end this quickly, so he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally seeing the full moon. The old man was on his guard and managed to hold his own for a few moments. Unfortunately, Bardock was on a completely different level, and managed to knock him out of the ring in just under a minute. The crowd was stunned, gaping at the sheer ferocity of Bardock's assault, before breaking out in thunderous applause.

"Wow! And there you have it folks! That may be the fastest ring-out I've ever seen in the title match! Your winner and 21st World Martial Arts Champion is... BARDOCK!" He cried.

Bardock was respectful enough to go over and help the old man to his feet, grinning slightly.

"Sorry old timer. Maybe next time." He said.

Roshi just sighed and shook his head.

"It's fine, I'm getting old anyway. And I hear you've been training with someone even stronger than Kami?" He questioned.

"That's right. King Kai is alright, but I'm wondering if there's anyone stronger I can train with." His grin widened.

Master Roshi chuckled at that.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck on your travels." And with a little wave, he left the arena.

Bardock would honestly miss that old man, if only just a little. He had been the only person on Earth to even scratch him, after all. Nevertheless, Bardock collected his winnings and went to find the man with the turban. He had since learned the man's name was Nam. There was a brief discussion and many thanks as Bardock handed over the prize money, explaining that he really didn't need it. He had just come to fight strong opponents. Nam thanked him once more before going on his way. Bardock smiled slightly as Bulma finally found him in the crowd.

"There you are! Congratulations on winning the tournament." She grinned up at him.

"Thanks. It was kind of boring though." He shrugged.

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, it looked pretty impressive to me. And you weren't even trying!" She pointed out.

He just shrugged again. "So... what now?"

She pondered for a moment.

"The dragon balls won't be active for another three months... And with your speed, we could probably find them all in a day or two. I guess right now we just go back to Capsule Corp." She replied.

"Sounds good to me." He nodded and started walking.

"Wait, aren't you going to fly us back?" She asked, following after him.

"I will, but I figured we should get dinner somewhere first. I'm starving." His stomach growled loudly to punctuate his complaint.

She giggled slightly and shook her head.

"Of course you are. Alright, dinner it is then. My treat. Consider it a victory dinner for winning the tournament." She said.

She noticed, then, that Bardock was staring at her. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly.

"What? Is there something on my face?" She asked.

He blinked and shook his head.

"No. I was just thinking." He said.

"About what?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Nothing. Let's just go eat." He said gruffly.

She frowned, wondering if she had done something wrong. It didn't see like he wanted to talk about it. She just sighed, taking the lead and guiding them to a nearby restaurant. She hoped he would talk to her about it soon, whatever it was.


	10. Dark Past, Uncertain Future

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Bulma sighed, glancing out the window at the gravity chamber her father had made for Bardock. At least this way he wouldn't have to keep going back and forth between Capsule Corp and the Other World. Despite this welcome change, he had been distant ever since the tournament. She shook her head, going back to her work on improving the dragon radar. She had started calling it that not too long ago, since it was easier than saying 'dragon ball locator'. She frowned when she saw two of the seven blips next to each other. Someone was gathering the dragon balls, and while that was cause for concern, her mind was focused on something else. More specifically why Bardock had been so cold to her recently.

They had been getting along swimmingly until now and she couldn't figure out why he suddenly seemed to revert back to how he was when they first met. Even then he was willing to humor her. But now... he was like a completely different person. She sighed again, forgetting once more that he was an alien. The only thing different about him that she had seen was his tail. She wasn't sure if he knew she had seen it. It definitely seemed like he was trying to hide it. Why? Sure, it was a little strange, but not completely unheard of. Maybe it had something to do with where he came from... She wondered if he had a family before this. It wasn't unlikely. He wasn't bad looking and protective of who he cared about. She blushed slightly, shaking her head.

Maybe it was something she had done. Nothing stood out in her mind. She had gone through her memories time and again, searching for the moment when Bardock changed, but couldn't narrow it down any more than the week after the tournament. It was driving her crazy. She had tried talking to him about it, but he just ignored her. That hurt more than she was willing to admit. She huffed, flinging the radar against the wall in frustration.

"Shit..." She sighed, taking a deep breath and running her hands through her hair. "I hope I didn't just undo all my hard work."

She stood and walked over, picking up the device and turning it over in her hands. There was hardly a scratch on it. She sighed in relief, looking back to the window. She pondered for a moment, slipping the radar into her pocket and making her way outside. The red light was blinking on the door of the gravity chamber, signaling it was in use. She hesitated slightly before rapping her knuckles three times on the door.

"Bardock! Someone is gathering the dragon balls." She called out.

"Why should I care?" Came the callous reply.

She frowned.

"Because we have no idea if their intentions are good! It could be Pilaf again!"

"That little imp? Yeah right. I scared him pretty good last time, I don't think he'll be showing up any time soon. Besides, I can stop him easily."

"And what if it's someone else?" She argued.

"Then I'll stop them, too. Now go away. I'm busy."

She was silent for several moments.

"Bardock, I'm... Did I do something? Say something? Why are you acting like this?"

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it."

"Well tough shit! If you don't talk then I'm kicking you out of my house!" She shouted.

There was only faint whirring for a full minute, before she heard the pressing of buttons and the light changed from red to green. The door slid open a moment later, revealing Bardock in just a pair of exercise shorts, his tail flicking around irritably behind him. He crossed his arms, giving her a cold stare. She swallowed, feeling afraid of him for the first time in a while.

"Please... I just want to understand." She practically whispered.

He held her gaze for what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a minute or two. He looked away and sighed.

"If it will get you to stop pestering me then fine. Sit down." He gestured to the bench inside the chamber.

"Uh... you're not going to turn up the gravity while I'm in there, right?" She chuckled nervously.

"Of course not. But I'm going to keep working while I talk." He turned on his heel and went back into the chamber, dead-lifting 500 pounds like it was a stack of paper.

She simply nodded, trying not to stare as she carefully made her way inside and sat on the bench with her hands clasped in her lap. He didn't look at her, so she figured she should just start talking.

"Tell me about your life before you came here." She started.

He grunted and let the weights crash to the floor, looking over at her. She barely managed not to look away from his intense gaze.

"Saiyans are... were... a bloodthirsty race, born and bred to fight and kill and conquer. But a tyrant enslaved us, passing it off as a favor. We got armor and space ships that allowed us to travel to other planets and destroy whatever lived there. All for Frieza's glorious empire." He scowled.

"I had a wife... and a son. Gine and Raditz. They were pretty much the only ones I cared about. Well, except maybe my team. Tora was the closest thing I ever had to a friend... Anyway, we were attacking a planet of apparent psychics and wiped them out pretty easily. But one survived our assault and got the jump on us. He knocked me out with a single blow to the back of the neck... He was destroyed not a second later, but ever since then I've had... visions. Of places I haven't been and people I haven't met." He explained.

She tilted her head, curious at this revelation, and oddly feeling disappointed.

"They mostly come in dreams now... Dreams I can't remember. It's all fuzzy and jumbled, like looking through fog. But that doesn't matter... My biggest secret is that I can transform into a monster 50 feet tall, just by looking at the full moon. When saiyans transform into that, they're called an Oozaru." He revealed.

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"A g-giant monster?" She stuttered. "Th-that's impossible! Why haven't I seen it, then?"

"Because I always leave the night of a full moon and go into the mountains so I don't crush anyone." He replied.

She held her head in her hands, trying to process all this information.

"I always knew there was something different about you... But I never would have expected this." She raised her eyes to look at him. "So... your wife and son?"

He gritted his teeth.

"Gone. Along with the rest of my planet."

She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Wait, you said you had spaceships. Is it possible any saiyans got off planet before it blew up?" She asked.

He shrugged.

"I guess it's possible. We go out on missions pretty frequently. But last I checked, Gine and Raditz were still there... I couldn't find them in time." He clenched his hands into fists.

"What about the dragon balls? You could wish them back to life!" She suggested.

It almost pained her to say it, but it was true. What kind of person would she be to stop him from wishing his family back?

"No." He said bluntly.

"What? Why?" She asked, obviously confused.

"I'm sure Gine is much happier in the Other World than she ever was on Vegeta. And if our son is gone, then he is most certainly there with her." He replied.

"But... you're not. Have you tried searching for them?" She asked.

He lowered his head.

"No... I'm afraid to face them. I failed them. I can't show my face until I've gotten revenge for their deaths. I have to kill Frieza." He said, determination shining in his eyes.

She paled slightly as something popped into her head.

"Is... is it possible Frieza could come here?" She asked.

"I guess it's possible, but he usually sends out saiyans to do his dirty work. But if he does, I'll be waiting." He grinned slightly.

"But are you strong enough to beat him?" Her voice wavered slightly.

"I don't know. That's why I'm training constantly. Until I'm sure I can beat him. Now, what did you say about the dragon balls?"

She blinked and fished the radar out of her pocket.

"Oh yeah, someone is collecting them... And they have three now." She frowned.

"Well, let's go and pay them a visit shall we?" He offered a hand to her.

She was surprised by his offer, but gently grabbed his hand and he helped her up. Her cheeks reddened slightly and she released his hand.

"Yeah, let me just go and get ready." She said.

He nodded.

"I'll be waiting for you out front."

She smiled at him.

"Bardock... thank you for trusting me."

He studied her for a moment before waving a hand dismissively.

"Whatever, no big deal. I'm gonna eat before we go."

He disappeared down the hall, walking towards the kitchen. She laughed and shook her head, hurrying to her room. She had a lot to prepare for their journey. Although, she felt much better now that Bardock had shared his story with her. It must have been hard for him to go through it, let alone remember it every day. He had a wife and child... She wondered, after Frieza was finally killed, if Bardock would wish them back.

A pang of sadness stuck her heart and she tried to shake it off. It wasn't right for her to think like this, to hope that he would move on and maybe... Just maybe be interested in her. But she could never get between him and the woman he loved. She sniffled, wiping the single tear the streaked down her cheek and got to packing, trying to suppress her feelings.


	11. Wish Come True?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, blah blah blah, please support the official release!

* * *

It had been three days since Bulma discovered the Dragon Balls were being gathered by somebody else. And now, they had a fourth. But she had been doing research tirelessly to try and figure out who was doing this and why.

"I've got it!" She called out suddenly and triumphantly, but her smile almost immediately turned to a frown and a look of concern as she sat at one of her many computers.

"It's about time." Bardock responded gruffly. He hadn't been much help, either lounging around waiting or training in the gravity chamber again.

Bulma felt annoyance bubble up inside her, but she decided to ignore it for now.

"Just come look at this." She waved him over, moving her chair to the side so he could see the screen as well.

"What am I looking at?" He asked as he scanned over the page.

Bulma sighed, pointing to a large symbol.

"This is the crest of the Red Ribbon Army... an extremist group whose morals are well into the grey area." She answered.

"Looks like they've been around for a while." He noted.

"Years. My father has spoken about them a couple times, but I didn't think they would go this far..." She paled at the reports of attacks on cities, villages, anywhere that had a Dragon Ball.

She swallowed, hands shaking slightly as she looked up at him.

"Can you take on an entire army?" She asked tentatively.

"I've done it before." He replied curtly. "But how would your world react to seeing a flying man shooting beams from his hands and exploding dozens of soldiers?"

She bit her lip, considering his words.

"Well... some would be afraid I think, but others would think the Red Ribbon Army is getting what they deserve."

"And what do you think?" He replied.

"I think... you want to do the right thing." She answered, looking back up at him. "And these soldiers are hurting people for selfish reasons."

He grunted, crossing his arms.

"I bet the guy in charge wants to take over the world or something like that. That's why he needs the Dragon Balls."

"And that's why you need to stop them!" Her voice pitched a bit higher in fear, as she stood from her chair suddenly.

"Please, I know this isn't your home... This isn't your fight. But if you start helping us, I know the people of this world won't just see you as a weapon."

"How can you possibly know that?" He questioned, giving her a piercing stare.

"I... I don't." She admitted nervously. "But I have faith. And you should, too."

He stared at her for a moment longer, considering his options, before looking away with a sigh.

"I guess there's only one way to find out... Let's go take care of these Red Ribbon guys."

She let out a breath of relief and smiled before realizing what he said.

"You want me to come with you?"

"Well, you know way more about them. I can use that. Don't worry, you won't be near the fighting. Besides, you can just use a communicator to talk to me, right?" He replied.

"O-oh, yes, of course." She nodded quickly. "You'll need these, then."

She handed him the dragon radar and a small device he could affix to his ear. He eyed it curiously, noticing the similarity it had to the scouter he used to wear.

"Test, one two. Can you hear me?" She spoke into her own ear piece.

He nodded and gave a thumbs up as way of response. She smiled again.

"Okay, I guess we're ready. If we want to go under the radar, we can't take a jet."

"I guess that means I'm carrying you again." He spoke with a slight smirk.

She tried to hide her blush, nodding at him as they walked outside. With little hesitation, he scooped her into his arms, heading off towards the base of this new enemy.

* * *

"Are you sure the Dragon Balls are in that compound?" He spoke softly, even though they were more than a mile from the nearest structure.

"That's what the radar says." Bulma replied, laying low and looking at the base through a pair of high-powered binoculars. "And if I had to guess, they're at the top of the tallest building."

Bardock snorted slightly.

"Of course. Should I go and get them?"

She sighed, pulling the binoculars away and looking over at him with a nod.

"They have six and the seventh is on its way. I'll keep watch from here."

She watched as he began stretching, rolling his shoulders and doing a few test punches. He was about to take off when Bulma spoke again.

"And Bardock... please be careful."

He wasn't all that surprised to hear the concern in her voice, but he nodded.

"You know me." He said with a grin, taking off into the sky and flying towards the encampment.

Bulma sighed and gazed through the binoculars again, watching as he approached. It wasn't long before Bardock started taking fire from their air defense, and the ground troops soon noticed his approach as well. Bulma jumped as she heard the cannons fire even from the distance where she was hiding.

"Bardock, are you okay?" She asked into her speaker loudly. She was sure it would be hard to hear her over all the explosions.

"I'm fine, blueberry. Watch this." Came the simple response.

She watched in awe as the enemy base lit up like a Christmas tree, Bardock shooting balls and beams of energy down at them. Their machines and men stood little chance against his onslaught. Suddenly, there was a pause, and all the explosions stopped. Bulma fumbled around for a moment, speaking into her communicator again.

"What's going on? Did something happen?" She asked.

"A voice is calling out for a ceasefire. I think it's their general." Bardock replied.

"What is he saying?" She asked.

"He says he'll give me the Dragon Balls if I stop destroying his men... What do you think?"

Bulma bit her lip in thought for a moment.

"Do you believe him?" She asked.

"He sounds pretty scared to me. Plus, I don't think he has any power without those balls. And I already destroyed most of his army."

"Then... I guess we're done here. Get the Dragon Balls and meet back where you dropped me off, okay?" She suggested.

"Will do." He replied simply.

Watching the camp through her binoculars didn't help much anymore. There was too much smoke. And he was worryingly silent for a good ten minutes. She was about to yell for him over the comms when she finally heard a response.

"Sorry for the silent streak, I had to fly a little ways to get number seven. I'm on my way back to you." He spoke.

She sighed in relief when she heard his voice, smiling as she saw him through the binoculars in the distance, flying towards her. She only had to wait another minute before he landed next to her. He set down a heavy bag, opening it to reveal seven golden orbs.

"Wow... I can't believe you did it." She smiled up at him.

"Are you doubting my skills?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"No, of course not! It's just... I can't believe you defeated an entire army in less than an hour."

He shrugged.

"All in a day's work. Now, what are we going to wish for?" He asked.

She blinked. She had been so worried about someone else using them, she had forgotten all about it.

"Oh... I guess I didn't think about that." She admitted, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright, then if you don't mind... I think I could use that wish for something."

She tilted her head curiously.

"What is it?"

His smile fell into a frown and he sighed.

"You know how you said there might be other Saiyans out there that escaped my planet exploding?"

She nodded.

"Well... you were right. And as it turns out, my son is alive."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected this turn of events. And she could swear she saw hope in Bardock's eyes.

"Are... are you sure?" She asked breathlessly.

He nodded slowly, not looking at her for the moment.

"When I went to Other World... I learned about beings called Kais. And the one that watched over this galaxy... He's been looking since I first visited. And just the other day, he found him." He replied, his voice wavering slightly.

He wasn't one to get emotional easily. Saiyans saw sentiment as a sign of weakness. But after all this time believing he was alone, only to find out his son might be alive... He looked back at Bulma, trying to gauge her reaction.

Her brow furrowed and she was biting her lip, obviously in deep contemplation. Bardock had a fleeting thought that she looked cute like that, but quickly shoved it away. If Raditz was alive, then that meant maybe Gine was alive as well. Romance didn't really exist for Saiyans, but he still felt he couldn't betray her... But he didn't know for sure.

"I think you should go for it." Bulma spoke suddenly, snapping Bardock out of his reverie.

He was surprised by that response.

"Are you sure? That would mean two aliens you have to deal with."

Bulma rolled her eyes and smiled a bit.

"Please, if I can handle you then I think I can handle... your son."

He noticed the pause, but didn't think much of it, letting out a long sigh.

"Okay then... Here goes."

He stood over the Dragon Balls, glancing at her once more before turning back and reciting the words.

"Eternal dragon! I have gathered all seven Dragon Balls! Rise and grant my wish!" He called out.

The bright, midday sky turned black and stormy as clouds suddenly appeared. Thunder rumbled and lightning struck the ground nearby, as the wind picked up speed, howling and sending dirt and sand swirling everywhere. Bardock stood resolutely as that familiar, golden glow rose from the orbs and streaked up into the sky, forming into a giant, green-scaled dragon.

" _ **I am the Eternal Dragon. Speak your wish and I shall grant it."**_ It spoke with a deep, booming voice.

Bardock hesitated only for a moment before shouting his reply.

"I wish to bring my son, Raditz, to Earth! And if she's alive... my wife Gine as well!" He called out.

The dragon was silent for a moment. And then, it spoke again.

" _ **The one called Gine is no longer living. However, I can fulfill the first part of your wish."**_ It replied.

Bardock clenched his fist, a single tear streaking down his face and no rain to hide it. Still, at least now he knew. He nodded, and the dragon's eyes began to glow red. After a moment, the glow faded.

" _ **Your wish has been granted. Farewell!"**_ It boomed, the seven orbs spiraling into the sky and dispersing to the corners of the Earth yet again.

Bardock collapsed to his knees as the skies began to clear, punching the ground and leaving a crater in frustration. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and though he knew it was Bulma, for a moment he hoped to turn and see Gine there. Instead it was the familiar blue hair and concerned look.

"I'm sorry." He apologized softly, standing back to his full height.

Bulma shook her head, standing with him.

"Don't be... I know it must be painful for you."

Bardock was about to reply when he heard a sudden, faint _**boom.**_ He looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun and watching as a Saiyan pod entered the atmosphere, streaking straight down and landing in the desert a few miles away.

"Is that him? Is that... your son?" Bulma asked a bit nervously.

But Bardock, now able to sense energy thanks to King Kai's training, knew it was him. It was Raditz.

"Come on. Let's go meet him." He gave a half-hearted grin.

She looked at him, hesitant, but trusting his judgment. He swept her into his arms again, flying off towards the crash site. A part of him was hopeful, but also apprehensive... There may be others out there, and if Raditz was still working under Frieza... That would be a problem. He shook his head, trying to clear away the doubts as they closed the distance to their destination. The ship landing had left a decent sized crater, so Bardock landed and set Bulma down at the edge.

"Stay here." He commanded, though heard no argument from her.

Still cautious, he approached the pod as the capsule popped open. He held his breath, but let it out slowly as he saw the familiar armor and long, spiky hair. Raditz stepped out of the pod a little disoriented, wondering what in the world just happened... He had been flying through space and, all of a sudden, he was landing on a foreign planet. And to add to the young Saiyan's confusion, there was a man standing in front of him that looked just like his father. Before he could say anything, however, a quick beam of light destroyed the scouter on his face.

"What in the blazes-?!" He cursed, his skin being scorched by the blast, eyes wide. "Father... is that really you?"

"We need to talk, Raditz. And I don't want anyone listening in." He said simply.

Raditz nodded slowly, now noticing another figure at the top of the crater.

"Who's that?" He sneered slightly at the woman, who took a step back in slight fear.

Bardock stuck an arm out between Raditz, preventing him from getting any closer to Bulma.

"She's a local of this planet. She's with me."

Raditz raised an eyebrow as he looked at his father.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, father."

"As do you, Raditz." He replied curtly. "Come. Let's find someplace more comfortable to talk."

Bulma could only watch nervously as they stared each other down. Things were about to get a lot more interesting.


	12. Training & Tournaments

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, please support the series!

* * *

It took some time to explain things to Raditz. But after Bardock told him what really happened to Planet Vegeta, he became less hostile. Or at least, he became less hostile towards Earth and the people living there. From what his father told him, Earth was some backwater planet outside of Frieza's sphere of influence... Lucky for them.

Bardock learned some important information as well, like the fact that Prince Vegeta and his lackey, Nappa, were still alive and out in space somewhere. It wasn't likely they would come looking for Raditz without a reason, but they might find it suspicious that his scouter had been destroyed. On the bright side, without the scouter to track his location, it may take years to find him. Would they even go through the effort?

Bulma didn't know what to think about all this. There were now TWO aliens on the planet and neither one seemed keen on talking to her or pulling her into the loop. She didn't want to interrupt their long chat, fearing she might anger... was his name Raditz? Their names were a bit strange to her, but then again, her name was probably equally as strange to them. So, she decided to work with her father until they were finished.

A day rolled by and Bulma still hadn't heard anything from the two Saiyans. Surely they had to be done by now? She sighed to herself, fixing her hair a bit as she walked to the kitchen. She froze in place, eyes widening as she saw nearly all the cabinets and pantries open, a mountain of food, bowls, and plates stacked up- many of which were empty- and two large men eating away without a care in the world.

"Well, it was nice of you two to stop by!" She said sarcastically, planting her hands on her hips. "God forbid you tell ME about any of this."

Bardock glanced over at her, giving a slightly apologetic shrug, while Raditz grunted and continued eating. Bulma huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, at least you two aren't fighting each other... yet. So, what's the verdict?" She tilted her head, crossing her arms under her chest.

Bardock paused in his binge-eating spree, choking down his mouthful of food before he replied.

"We're going to kill Frieza." He responded bluntly, as if that explained everything.

Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"You mean that all-powerful, evil space tyrant?"

Bardock nodded and Bulma scoffed slightly.

"Right... and how exactly are you going to do that?"

"By training." Again, another curt answer from Bardock.

Bulma sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I swear, all you Saiyans think about is eating and fighting... Okay, fine. You train. Then what? Do you even know where he is?"

"No, but we can find out. I'm sure King Kai could find Frieza easily enough. And you or your dad could probably make a spaceship, right?" Bardock asked.

Bulma bristled slightly.

"So what, I'm just your helper now?"

"Well, you would be helping, yes. But you're welcome to come along if you want."

Bulma's eyes widened and Raditz nearly choked, slamming his fist against his chest until he could breathe again.

"Father, you can't be serious! Taking this... blue woman with us would just be foolish!"

Bulma went right back to being annoyed, shooting a glare over at Raditz. He sneered right back.

"She might not be strong, but I've seen her work. She's smart, and not just a technical whiz, either." Bardock replied, pausing and glancing back at Bulma.

"And you're a scientist. I'm sure you'd like to explore the galaxy, right?"

Bulma was speechless. She hadn't been expecting that offer. And a chance to go into space? To discover other lifeforms, other planets... As well as being the first scientist to do so? Hell, the first FEMALE scientist! She smiled and nodded, feeling excited already.

"That would be... incredible!" She finally responded, laughing for a moment before trying to contain herself.

Bardock chuckled a bit at her reaction, while Raditz rolled his eyes and stood from his chair. He purposefully shoved past Bulma on his way out, nearly bowling her over. She huffed, dusting herself off and gathering her bearings.

"What's his problem?" She asked, looking back at Bardock.

Bardock sighed slightly, standing from his chair as well.

"He's young... and full of pride. I don't think he's fully accepted what I told him. He doesn't want to accept help from anyone... especially people he sees as weaker than himself." He explained.

"Are all Saiyans like that?" She asked without thinking, gasping and covering her mouth.

Bardock just shrugged, showing he wasn't offended by the comment.

"It's alright, that's a fair question... and yes, most of the time. You'd be hard pressed to find a Saiyan that doesn't think they're better than everyone else... Especially now." He frowned.

Bulma was silent for a moment as she watched him.

"You're not like that." She said softly.

He looked back to her as she spoke, giving a small grin.

"I appreciate that... Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to ask: How long until the next tournament?" He replied.

She seemed surprised at the sudden shift in conversation, but she figured he still wasn't fully comfortable talking about himself or his people.

"We have one every three years so... you have a bit of time before the next one." She answered.

He nodded, stepping past her, but paused in the doorway and looked back.

"I'm going to be training Raditz for most of that time... Don't worry, I'll still come and visit." He added with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes again, but couldn't help smiling as he said that.

"You'd better. If the only people I see for the next three years are my mom and dad, I think I'll go crazy." She gave a small laugh, but once again frowned, worrying that might have been insensitive.

Again, Bardock didn't seem offended, instead simply nodding and going on his way. Bulma sighed and shook her head. There was still so much she didn't know about him... about the Saiyans. And she didn't know if he would ever tell her the full story, their history... On top of that, from what little she DID know about them, Bardock seemed perplexingly different from the rest. He was strong and prideful, yes, but also respectful... and compassionate at times.

She shook her head, trying to focus on something else as she went about her daily routine. But as a scientist, her mind was constantly flooded with questions... Most of which didn't have an answer. And she didn't have the courage to ask the source. So she sighed, sitting at her desk and working on another project.

"A spaceship, huh?" She muttered to herself. "I'll make the fastest spaceship you've ever seen..."

* * *

 _Three years later..._

Bulma's hair was longer now, falling past her shoulders and drifting slightly in the breeze as she waited outside the venue for the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. True to his word, Bardock had come to visit her. Only a few times over the three years- with no sign of Raditz, of course- but they had arranged to meet at the entrance before the tournament. She glanced at her watch, tapping her foot impatiently and wondering if he had forgotten.

"Hey Bulma. Long time no see." A familiar, deep voice spoke.

She smiled slightly, turning to greet him. Her eyes widened in slight surprise. Bardock looked exactly the same, but that wasn't what caught her attention. A lean, tall man who resembled Raditz was standing next to Bardock, but his hair was MUCH shorter. Far from the rock star mane he had when he arrived on earth, his spiky hair had been trimmed to barely meet his shoulders. And another thing...

"Wait a second... Where did you get those clothes?" She asked, eyeing the nicely made garments they were wearing.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. You know that pervy old man we met on the island? Well, turns out he's a master martial artist. I asked him to teach us a few things." Bardock replied.

She raised an eyebrow and scoffed slightly.

"Really? I find that hard to believe..." She paused, looking them up and down. "But I guess you do look stronger."

"I hope this tournament has more interesting fighters than the last one." Bardock said, looking over the large throng of people clamoring about.

"Do you think they actually stand a chance this time?" Bulma asked, tilting her head slightly.

"We'll see. Hopefully, some of them will show promise. Then we can train with them, too." Bardock replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes.

"There you go again, always thinking about training... Come on, let's get you signed up." She turned on her heel, gesturing for them to follow her.

Raditz wasn't very comfortable taking orders from her... Well, it was more like following her directions, but he was fairly sure he could figure it out by himself. Bardock noticed the look on his son's face, elbowing him gently and giving him a stern look.

"I thought you grew out of this, Raditz. It's been three years after all." He said.

Raditz grunted, crossing his arms.

"I don't understand why you put up with this woman. From what you tell me, she's incredibly bossy." Raditz retorted.

"I guess she reminds me of a Saiyan woman... certainly has the temper of one." Bardock replied with a slight chuckle, following behind Bulma.

Raditz considered those words for a moment, sighing slightly and following his father. The proceedings were similar to the previous tournament: grab a number, wait for it to be called, and participate in the elimination round. However, this time there were a few familiar faces. After training with Master Roshi, both Bardock and Raditz had gotten to know his other students: Krillin and Yamcha. They showed some potential, so Bardock had been fine working with them. Raditz, on the other hand... he hadn't done so unless his father demanded it.

Bardock had recognized Yamcha as the bandit he had beaten up years before, when he had first been traveling with Bulma, but he decided not to hold a grudge. Besides, the ex-bandit couldn't hold a candle to him in terms of power. As the elimination round proceeded, however, Bardock noticed two more promising fighters. A young boy by the name of Chiaotzu and a taller, bald and three-eyed man named Tien Shinhan. He was particularly interested in their ability to fly. This was the first time he had seen an Earthling fly since he arrived.

They all made it through the eliminations, of course, leaving just two more fighters Bardock didn't recognize. Some movie star/martial artist named Pamput and... was that a werewolf? Well, he went by the alias Man-Wolf. At any rate, once the final eight fighters were decided, the bracket was drawn and the battle for World Martial Arts Champion began.


	13. Man or Monster?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

The first match was between Yamcha and Tien Shinhan. Bardock watched closely, observing the three-eyed man curiously, wondering what sort of techniques he would use. It was a brutal fight, though not necessarily drawn out. Bardock grimaced slightly as Tien broke Yamcha's leg. Killing your opponent was against the rules, but apparently maiming them was in a grey area. Tien walked off with a smirk and a victory, sending a pointed stare over towards Raditz and Bardock. Raditz glared back, while Bardock just stared coldly.

The next match-up was Man-Wolf versus Raditz. Even if they hadn't trained, Bardock was sure Raditz could easily win. Raditz hadn't had a good, beat-down-drag-out fight in a long time. Training with his father didn't count... but if this man counted as one of the world's strongest, he didn't have much faith in the other fighters. As expected, Raditz soundly beat Wolf-Man, not even needing to use his flight or energy abilities.

The third match was between Krillin and Chiaotzu. This one was surprisingly close, with the two young fighters apparently evenly matched. Plenty of interesting moves were used, including a Kamehameha from Krillin and a Dodon ray from Chiaotzu. However, the pale-skinned friend of Tien had very strange telekinetic abilities that Krillin wasn't expecting. Not to be outdone, Krillin discovered how to counter this in a rather unorthodox way... shouting out math questions at his opponent. Apparently, he needed his hands to count, but couldn't use his telekinesis at the same time. This led to Krillin barely scraping by with a ring out.

The final match of the quarter-finals was Pamput vs Bardock. He sighed and shook his head slightly as the man with the afro flexed and showed off as he stepped into the ring, doing a few poses as well. While he could tell this man had some fighting ability, he was clearly more concerned about appearance and public image. Nevertheless, Bardock decided to give the audience an entertaining fight. It was almost painful to fight at the same level, but Bardock actually used his martial arts to beat this boxer, soundly knocking him out after a minute.

He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulder, looking out in the cheering crowd. He smiled slightly and waved as he spotted Bulma right up front before leaving the stage. There was a brief intermission, as medical officials tended to Yamcha, before the next bout got underway. The semi-finals were starting. Bardock grimaced again when he saw that Krillin would be fighting Tien. If the fight with Yamcha was anything to go by, Krillin was in for a world of hurt.

Despite the initial concern, Krillin proved to be far more slippery than either Bardock or Tien could have predicted. Although Tien could see through the After-Image Technique, Krillin countered by launching a ball of energy at the ground and creating a smokescreen. He mostly took pot shots at Tien, trying to send him off-balance and get the upper hand. Unfortunately, Tien had a trick of his own. He flew up in the air and blinded everyone with a Solar Flare, even Bardock and Raditz for a moment, giving him enough time to send Krillin sailing out of the ring with a flying kick. On the bright side, Krillin was able to walk away.

The next battle would be Raditz versus Bardock, father against son. Raditz wanted to go all out, but Bardock knew they might destroy the whole ring- hell, the whole island- if they weren't careful. He whispered as much to Raditz as they stepped in the ring. He got a grumble and an eyeroll as a response. Despite the warning, as the battle began, it was clear Raditz wasn't fully holding back. The shockwaves from just his punches sent tremors through the stands and made cracks in the ring. Bardock wanted to end this quickly, so his son wouldn't get out of hand. Quick as a flash, he appeared behind Raditz, and knocked him out with a quick chop to the neck. The crowd had barely kept up with the fight, but applauded anyway as Bardock left the ring, dragging Raditz with him.

Another brief intermission was held, partly to make sure the ring was still stable and partly to build up the hype of the final match. Bardock was standing near the entrance with his arms crossed when an equally tall, bald individual stepped up beside him. He turned, once again giving a cold stare towards Tien Shinhan.

"I can see by the gi you're wearing that you've trained with the Turtle School." Tien spoke with a slight sneer.

"What's it to you?" Bardock replied with a question.

"I know you were watching. You know what I did to your friends. The short one got lucky, but you... You can take a bit more punishment." Tien smirked.

"Are you trying to intimidate me? Because if you are, it isn't working." Bardock smirked as well.

Tien scowled at that.

"Don't act all high and mighty! You're the man who beat his own son." He said.

"Not within an inch of his life, like you did with Yamcha." Bardock retorted.

"Just know that I won't be going easy on you in the ring." Tien warned.

"Neither will I." Bardock replied simply.

Soon enough, the gong was struck, signalling the start of the final match. The crowd cheered and roared as the final two contestants stepped into the ring. They stared at each other, one gaze filled with anger and the other cold and calculating.

"Let the final match of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament... BEGIN!" That same announcer with blonde hair and sunglasses shouted.

There was no hesitation. Tien lunged at Bardock, aiming a sweeping kick to his leg. Bardock jumped over it easily, flipping over Tien and aiming a similar kick to the bald man's head. Tien backed backwards, barely avoiding the blow in time, using the momentum to try and do a rising kick towards Bardock's stomach. Bardock blocked the blow, watching as Tien flipped backwards to gain some distance.

"Is that all you've got?" Bardock goaded, holding out a hand and smirking as he gestured for Tien to come at him again.

Tien growled in frustration, taking off into the air. Bardock knew exactly what he was doing up there, getting ready to shield his eyes from the inevitable Solar Flare. However... it didn't come. Instead, Tien formed his hand into a triangle and started chanting something.

"Tien, no! You'll die!" A tiny voice screamed in fear from the sidelines.

Bardock gave a quick glance. It was the small one who fought Krillin. Chiaotzu was his name. He quickly looked back up at Tien, feeling as his energy started spiking dangerously. What technique was he about to use?

"KIKOHO!" Tien shouted suddenly, sending a massive blast of energy down at the ring.

The audience screamed for a moment as the sky glowed yellow, a metric ton of dust and smoke being launched into the air as the blast connected with the ring... As the glow faded, Tien panting heavily from just that one attack, there wasn't a ring anymore. And Bardock was nowhere in sight.

"No... It can't be..." Bulma mumbled from the sidelines, feeling tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

There was no way he could have killed Bardock... right?

"I commend you on that attack." A deep voice suddenly boomed, and all eyes looked up.

Tien sputtered and grit his teeth, growling as he looked up and to his left. Bulma felt relief flood through her as she saw Bardock floating there, arms crossed and without a scratch as he stared at Tien.

"But you should really be more careful with your aim." Bardock added.

"Why, because I missed you?" Tien practically spat at him.

"No. Because you might have hit the people." Bardock corrected.

Tien recoiled slightly at the accusation, but didn't say anything. So Bardock continued.

"You don't have to be like this, you know. Believe me when I say it isn't worth it. I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I've seen that hate before... I've known it. You don't have to let it control you."

Tien scoffed slightly.

"Are you really trying to teach me a lesson in the middle of a fight?" He jeered.

Bardock's eyes narrowed slightly. Faster than even Tien's eyes could see, Bardock was right in front of him.

"We'll see if the lesson sticks with you after you wake up from this... And it wasn't much of a fight." He said coldly.

With a swift movement, Bardock raised his hand and SLAPPED Tien, sending him rocketing back to Earth and crashing to the ground only a few feet from where the ring used to be. The audience was speechless for a moment as Bardock slowly lowered to the ground, but broke out into thunderous applause as the announcer declared Bardock the champion yet again. He kept his title. He paused, briefly looking over at Tien before he left the arena.

Raditz was awake at this point and none too happy what his father had pulled, but still proud he had won nonethelss. Bulma came running as well, all smiles as she practically jumped into his arms to give him a hug. He didn't get a chance to return it, as she immediately pulled away, her face resembling a cherry. He would have made a comment about it if it weren't for two things: The first was receiving the prize money, which he didn't really care about... The second was a bit more disturbing.

He immediately tensed up, giving a look to Raditz, Bulma, even Krillin and Yamcha as well. They knew that look meant trouble, and that scared some of them.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Bulma asked, clearly worried.

"There's a strange power coming this way, stronger than any I've felt on this planet so far." Bardock answered.

Bulma swallowed, practically shaking now. Krillin wasn't much better, and Yamcha looked absolutely terrified.

"It will be here soon..." He paused, reaching to his belt and grabbing several senzu beans.

He handed them out to everyone who needed them, even Tien Shinhan. He explained the situation, that they had to put aside personal grudges for now and deal with this new threat. Bardock wasn't that worried, he and Raditz should be able to deal with anything... but there was something oddly familiar about this power. So the Z-fighters gathered and waited, looking at the slowly darkening sky as the sun began to set.

Then, suddenly, a creature dark as night and resembling a large bat descended from the sky, landing only thirty feet away. Bulma had taken cover in the stands long before, as did Yamcha, watching from a distance. The others took up defensive stances, while Bardock stepped forward to confront the creature.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked bluntly.

The creature gave a menacing cackle and an extravagant bow.

"I am Tambourine. I am here on behalf of my master, Lord Piccolo. I am to find the strongest fighters of The World Martial Arts Tournament." He paused, laughing again as he stood up straight and observed the group.

"It seems I have found them."

"And what are your intentions?" Bardock asked.

"Why... to kill you all, of course!"

He lunged forward, one of his clawed hands streaking towards Bardock at blinding speed... But the Saiyan easily grabbed his wrist, stopping him short. With a squeeze and a twist, Bardock tore the creature's arm right off. It squealed in pain, holding its stump and dropping to its knees.

"Now I'm only going to ask this once..." Bardock knelt in front of the creature, eyes blazing with a barely controlled fury. "Who is this Lord Piccolo?"


End file.
